The antibacterial activity of the essential oil from leaves of Juniperus phoenicea (Cupressaceae) and its chemical constituents were investigated in this study. The essential oil was obtained by hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID), and gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Sixty-three volatile compounds were identified representing 52 to 92% of the total oil compositions. The main monoterpenes were a-pinene (26.7-78.7%) and 6-3carene (7.6-15.4%). The antibacterial activity of J. phoenicea essential oil, when tested against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, showed high activity against all bacteria tested, except Pseudomonas.