Nine Federal Supreme Court judges resign amid tensions with chief justice, ‘political interference’

BAGHDAD — Nine judges from Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court have submitted their resignations, citing internal disputes with Chief Justice Jassim Mohammed Abboud and rising political interference, according to MP Soran Omer and documents seen by 964media.

“The primary reason is their disputes with Chief Justice Jassim Mohammed Abboud, along with persistent political interference in the judiciary’s work, including in the Khor Abdullah case,” Omer told 964media.

The Khor Abdullah case, which centers on maritime boundaries and Iraq-Kuwait relations, has emerged as a flashpoint in recent months, with factions inside Iraq pressuring the court over its handling of the issue.

In a letter dated June 16, Chief Justice Abboud invited leaders of Iraq’s federal branches and members of the State Administration Coalition to a meeting to address constitutional and legal challenges. The court said it was acting “to safeguard national stability and constitutional adherence.”

Parliament rejected the invitation in a June 19 letter signed by Speaker Mahmoud Al-Mashhadani, citing concerns over judicial independence. “The judiciary is independent and subject to no authority other than the law,” the speaker wrote, quoting Article 19 (First) of the Constitution. He warned that joint meetings with other branches risk “political interference that may affect the core of judicial independence,” referencing Article 87.

Under Article 93, Clause 7 of the Constitution, the Federal Supreme Court must ratify general election results for Parliament to assume legitimacy. A judicial crisis could imperil this process, potentially derailing elections due in November.

MP Raed Al-Maliki, a member of Parliament’s legal committee, confirmed the resignations, saying, “Nine members of the Federal Supreme Court — six permanent and three reserve judges — submitted their resignations today because of the pressure being exerted on the court in the Khor Abdullah case.”

He accused senior officials of undermining judicial independence. “The government and other senior parties want the Federal Supreme Court to be a compliant tool in their hands to enforce what they consider the protection of higher interests,” Al-Maliki said.

“This situation cannot be tolerated,” he added. “The leading Shia political forces have failed to build a state based on institutions that respect the sovereignty of the constitution and the rule of law.”

Also thrown into fresh doubt is a resolution to the longstanding dispute over Kurdistan Region public sector salaries. Before the mass resignation, the court was due to rule on the refusal by the federal government in Baghdad to disburse funds for Kurdistan Region salaries.