A general assembly of judges…and a call for the independence of the judiciary!

At the invitation of the First President of the Court of Cassation and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, a general assembly of judges was held today, Tuesday, January 7, 2025, in the courtroom of the Court of Cassation. The meeting was attended by the acting Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar, and the Acting Head of the Judicial Inspection Authority, Judge Samar Al-Sawah. In addition to judges from various courts.

Abboud explained the goal of the meeting, which focuses on strengthening judicial solidarity and consultation among judges to reach an independent and effective judiciary, without waiting for the formation of authority or its entitlements. He stressed that the judge must remain an independent judicial authority in his decisions, and that the national, political and religious authorities in Lebanon often seek to impose a judiciary that is in line with their interests instead of supporting its independence.

Judge Abboud also touched on the future plans adopted by the Supreme Judicial Council, stressing the necessity of approving the Judicial Independence Law in line with the Council’s observations. He pointed out that this law will be presented through progressive and deliberate steps, in addition to the importance of conducting comprehensive judicial formations on objective grounds. He also pointed out the necessity of working with the first presidents in evaluating the performance of assigned judges, and monitoring judicial work through judicial inspection, with an emphasis on applying the principle of reward and punishment.

At the conclusion of his speech, Abboud announced the soon issuance of a report presenting the work and activities of the judicial judiciary during the past five years (2019-2024), which will be published on the website of the Supreme Judicial Council.

For his part, Judge Jamal Al-Hajjar emphasized in his intervention the importance of the principle of reservation for the judge, indicating that a judge who abandons this principle is not considered a judge. He pointed out that the Lebanese judiciary has experienced great challenges in recent years, which necessitates the need to carefully review and evaluate its experiences.

As for Judge Samar Al-Sawah, Acting Head of the Judicial Inspection Authority, she stressed in her intervention the necessity of returning to judicial work at full capacity despite the lack of equipment in the palaces of justice and the courts. She pointed to the importance of judges’ commitment to building an effective judiciary and purifying it of any impurities, stressing the need to address judicial problems internally, away from the media. She announced the strengthening of inspection visits to palaces of justice and courts to closely follow the efforts of judges and improve performance.