Universal House of Justice

The Universal House of Justice was first established in 1963, when all of the National Spiritual Assemblies elected a group of nine individual souls from the Bahá'í's around the world. Today the Universal House of Justice serves as the guiding force behind the Bahá'ís Faith. After the appointment of Shoghi Effendi the appointment of the Universal House of Justice is considered by the Bahá'ís community as being the most momentus occasion in the Bahá'ís Faiths recent history.

Positioned on Mount Carmel in Haifa Isreal, the Universal House of Justice serves more than a purely administrative function however. The Universal House of Justice has been ordained by Bahá'u'lláh as being an instrument of divine guidance to the Bahá'í community. `Abdu'l-Bahá wrote in his writings that "under the protection and the unerring guidance of God."

The legislative enactments by the Universal House of Justice have the same authority with the Bahá'í Faith as the writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá and Bahá'u'lláh. This is founded on the explicit texts of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. One important distinction to be made however is although any writing done by the Universal House of Justice has this authority, the basic principles outlined by Bahá'u'lláh can not be altered in any way by the Universal House of Justice.

The Universal House of Justice also serves the function as providing guidance on topics that may not be explicitly dealt with in the sacred writings. Any queries not dealt with are submitted to The Universal House of Justice for explanation and guidance. Bahá'u'lláh wrote that since for "each day there is a new problem and for every problem an expedient solution, such affairs should be referred to the Ministers of the House of Justice that they may act according to the needs and requirements of the time. They...are the recipients of divine inspiration from the unseen kingdom."

The election of the first Universal House of Justice marked an important time in Bahá'í history. Before the guidance of the Bahá'í community rested upon a single set of shoulders, firstly the Manifestation of God, Bahá'u'lláh, then with the Center of the Faith, Abdu'l-Bahá, and finally with the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi. With the election of The Universal House of Justice, this guidance was given to nine elected individuals chosen by the Bahá'í community itself.

The majority of the decision making however is not only placed upon the Universal House of Justice, but instead is placed in the hands of the seperate National and Local Spiritual Assemblies in each country. The implementation of Bahá'u'lláh's spiritual principles resides with these Assemblies.

The most important function the Universal House of Justice served was what is an essential element in the Bahá'í Faith, that of Unity. It is most often in the formative years of the establishment of a new Faith , such as the first century, that schisms in the Faith emerge. Faith alone cannot hope to unify a Faith in these modern times by itself, and it is The Universal House of Justice that as one of the primary roles in maintaining this unity.

One important factor in the twentieth century is its rapid change. The Universal House of Justice can adapt the Bahá'í Faith to the changing society. The elections of the Universal House of Justice occur once every five years, done by secret ballot, there are no nominations, creating a system in which all Bahá'í's have a free choice in whom they elect. The last election was in April of 1993, in which delegates of 160 different national communities participated.

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