Iraq’s top court rejects lawsuits against amnesty, property, and personal status laws

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed lawsuits filed by several lawmakers challenging a Jan. 21 parliamentary session during which three controversial laws—the General Amnesty Law, the Personal Status Law, and the Property Restitution Law—were passed together as a single package. The court cited a lack of legal standing and lifted an injunction issued Feb. 4 that had suspended the session. Federal Court President Jasim Aboud told reporters, “No law can be enacted in violation of the constitution,” adding that the court “rejected all challenges” and the laws “will remain in effect.”

Some challengers argued that aspects of the legislation were unconstitutional, while others claimed the voting procedure itself was improper. The court dismissed all objections, upholding both the laws and the legitimacy of the parliamentary process. In its Feb. 4 order, the court had temporarily halted the laws’ implementation, warning that “the implementation of these laws could lead to consequences that cannot be reversed if they are later deemed unconstitutional.”

On Jan. 21, after months of political deadlock involving Shia, Sunni, and Kurdish factions, lawmakers approved all three measures in a single vote. One of the most debated provisions is an amendment to the Personal Status Law, which critics say could weaken protections for women and girls provided by the 1959 legislation.

The Property Restitution Law, supported by Kurdish lawmakers, aims to restore homes in disputed areas—particularly Kirkuk—to Kurdish and Turkmen families displaced under the Baath regime. Those properties had been reassigned to Arab settlers, uprooting thousands.

The General Amnesty Law modifies a 2016 pardon statute, a key demand of Sunni parties who argue that many people were “wrongfully detained” on terrorism charges following the Islamic State’s 2014 takeover of predominantly Sunni governorates. The law has been a central issue for Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s administration.