Lebanese judges to stage strike over “unjustified attacks”
Lebanese judges condemned Thursday repeated attacks against the Lebanese judicial system and decided to go on strike Friday as a reaction to these "unjustified attacks."
Lebanese judges answered the Higher Judicial Council”s call for a general meeting that was held in the Supreme Court of Beirut on Thursday and was chaired by the president of the Higher Judicial Council, magistrate Antoine Kheir.
After the meeting, the assembly released a six-clause statement reiterating its "complete trust in the Higher Judicial Council, its president and its members who ensure the judiciary”s permanence and functioning," adding that a strong country has no value without an independent and trustworthy judicial body.
The statement also denounced the attacks on the judiciary which only "aimed to obstructing the judicial [system] and placing unjustifiable and unacceptable pressure on the judicial council”s work." The present members also called on the public prosecutor to take the right measures and immediately take legal action against all those – "regardless of their status or identity" – who attack the judicial authority or the judges.
The statement”s third point called on the investigative authorities within the judiciary to monitor the work of the remaining judicial bodies, adding that "any existing blemish in the judicial institution should be cleared up."
The judges also agreed on suspending all court sessions on Friday, as a symbolic expression of their disapproval of the exposure of the judicial system "to repeated and unjustified attacks."
The Lebanese judges then thanked newly appointed Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar for his help in making the meeting happen and hoped that he (Najjar) would cooperate and respond to their demands.
The statement added that a law must be drafted concerning the media”s implication in the judiciary”s work.
The judges ended their statement warning that there would be consequences in case their demands were not fulfilled.
Also on Thursday, Najjar discussed the current events and the Lebanese-Italian bilateral ties with Italian Ambassador Gabriele Checchia and Cesare Ragaglini, officer for the Middle East and North Africa region in the Italian Foreign Ministry.
Earlier on Thursday, Najjar met with Jordan”s Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Omar Shdeifat.