Universal House of Justice.



In the verse cited above, the reference is to the Local House of Justice,

an institution which is to be elected in a locality whenever there are

nine or more resident adult Baha'is. For this purpose, the definition of

adult was temporarily fixed at the age of 21 years by the Guardian, who

indicated it was open to change by the Universal House of Justice in the

future.



Local and Secondary Houses of Justice are, for the present, known as Local

Spiritual Assemblies and National Spiritual Assemblies. Shoghi Effendi has

indicated that this is a temporary appellation which,





...as the position and aims of the Baha'i Faith are better

understood and more fully recognized, will gradually be superseded

by the permanent and more appropriate designation of House of

Justice. Not only will the present-day Spiritual Assemblies be

styled differently in future, but they will be enabled also to add

to their present functions those powers, duties, and prerogatives

necessitated by the recognition of the Faith of Baha'u'llah, not

merely as one of the recognized religious systems of the world,

but as the State Religion of an independent and Sovereign Power.