Higher Judicial Council to stress objectivity of judiciary
The Higher Judicial Council will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss an opposition campaign against the judiciary in the wake of the release of the four generals who were held in custody in Lebanon for nearly four years without charge. In accordance with Article 6 of the Lebanese law on the judiciary, Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar called for a meeting of the Higher Judicial Council on Tuesday to discuss recent attacks on the judiciary.
On Wednesday the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) tasked with prosecuting the murder of former Premier Rafik Hariri ordered the release of four Lebanese officers, saying there was insufficient evidence to charge them.
Opposition factions have called for the judiciary to be held accountable over what they described as the "arbitrary" detention of the four officials, who were held without charge as suspects in the case since August 2005.
Well-informed sources at the Justice Ministry said the participants in the meeting would leave it to the tribunal "to handle the case of the four generals."
"The meeting will also stress the integrity and objectivity of the judiciary, in addition to its ability to respond and face accusations," the sources said.
On Sunday An-Nahar newspaper reported that the justice minister was preparing draft legislation to amend law 108 of the Criminal Procedures Code in a bid to set a specific time limit for the detention of suspects in cases related to state-security and terrorism.
Under the current Law 108, authorities can detain suspects in terrorism and security-related crimes indefinitely pending an investigation.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah-owned Al-Manar television station reported plans by the opposition to stage a sit-in in front of the Justice Ministry to force the resignation Prosecutor General Saeed Mirza and the examining magistrate into the Hariri case, Judge Saqr Saqr.
In an interview with Al-Manar over the weekend, Mirza rejected calls by Jamil al-Sayyed, one of the freed generals, to step down, saying "it was out of the question."
"There are procedures and laws that I abide by," he added.
Commenting on the issue, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora stressed Saturday that the Lebanese state was keen on preserving "the reputation, reverence, independence and neutrality of the judiciary."
"Let”s build a firewall [for the judiciary] so that there is no interference by anyone in its functionality," Siniora told reporters following a meeting with President Michel Sleiman at the Baabda Palace.
The release of the four former generals triggered a heated debate during Friday”s Cabinet session and ended with feuding camps agreeing that the Lebanese judiciary be given the authority to handle this issue.
An-Nahar newspaper reported on Friday that the argument lasted for more than three hours, with the opposition demanding accountability of the Lebanese judiciary for the long detention of the four generals.
"Ministers allied with the March 14 Forces, for their part, rejected any manipulation of the judiciary," the paper said.
An-Nahar said the rival ministers finally agreed to stress the importance of the launch of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the need to "respect its decisions, in reference to the latest court ruling ordering the release of the four generals from nearly four years of detention."
The daily said Hizbullah minister Mohammad Fneish pledged commitment to the Cabinet”s agreement.
"True, we are calling for accountability, but within the limits of respecting jurisdictions as well as separation of powers and independence of the judiciary," An-Nahar quoted the minister as saying.
Meanwhile, Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Butros Sfeir warned Sunday against smearing the judiciary”s reputation in order to achieve political gains. "We must safeguard the judiciary against false statements that only serve political ends," he said during Sunday”s sermon at Notre Dame Cathedral in Bkirki.
"We must also protect the judges who have always had a reputation of integrity," he added. Sfeir congratulated the four former generals on their release but voiced hope that "any hidden aspects in their case would be clarified in order to put an end to controversy."