History
Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, in his Most Holy Book (the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, also known as his book of laws), first ordains the institution of the House of Justice and defines its functions. The institution's responsibilities are also expanded on and referred to in several other of Bahá'u'lláh's writings including in his Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh. In those writings Bahá'u'lláh writes that the Universal House of Justice would assume authority over the religion, and would consider matters that had not been covered by himself; he stated that the members of the institution would be assured of divine inspiration, and have the regard for all peoples and safe-guard their honour.
Later, `Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh's son and successor, in his Will and Testament, elaborated on its functioning, its composition and outlined the method for its election. He wrote that the Universal House of Justice would be under Bahá'u'lláh's protection, that it would be freed of error, and that obedience to it would be obligatory. `Abdu'l-Bahá first used the term "Universal House of Justice" to distinguish the supreme body from those local 'Houses of Justice' to be established in each community, and the secondary 'Houses of Justice' (current Bahá'í national spiritual assemblies). He also stated that the institutions decisions could be by majority vote, but that unanimous decisions were preferred, and that it would be elected by the members of the secondary Houses of Justice. He also confirmed Bahá'u'lláh's statements that its membership would be confined to men, and that the reason behind this decision would become apparent in the future.
While both `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, heads of the religion after Bahá'u'lláh, considered establishing the Universal House of Justice, they both declined to do so. Shoghi Effendi's reason was due to his belief in the weakness of the existing Bahá'í institutions — there were a very limited number of national spiritual assemblies and local spiritual assemblies. Thus during his lifetime, Shoghi Effendi prepared for the election of the Universal House of Justice, by establishing a strong administrative structure at the local and national levels. In 1951 when there were 9 national spiritual assemblies, Shoghi Effendi appointed members to the International Bahá'í Council, and described it as an embryonic international House of Justice. After Shoghi Effendi's unexpected death in 1957, the Hands of the Cause directed the affairs of the religion and announced that the election of the Universal House of Justice would occur in 1963 at the end of the Ten Year Crusade, an international teaching plan instituted by Shoghi Effendi.
In 1961 the International Bahá'í Council was changed to an elected body, with members of all National Spiritual Assemblies voting for its members. Then in April 1963 the first Universal House of Justice was elected, six years after the passing of Shoghi Effendi, by 56 national spiritual assemblies. The date of the election coincided with the completion of the Ten Year Crusade and also with the first centenary anniversary of the public declaration of Bahá'u'lláh in the Garden of Ridván in April 1863. Since then the Universal House of Justice has acted as the head of the religion; in 1972 it published its constitution.
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