Iraq names new Federal Supreme Court chief to replace the ‘retiring’ Jassim Mohammed Abboud

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s judiciary has approved the appointment of Judge Mundhir Ibrahim Hussein as the new president of the Federal Supreme Court following the retirement of Chief Justice Jassim Mohammed Abboud, who stepped down citing “health reasons”. The move follows the mass resignation of nine members on the bench in protest of internal disputes and alleged political interference.

The Supreme Judicial Council said Sunday that a committee formed under Article 3 of the amended Law No. 30 of 2005 met and agreed to retire Abboud and nominate Hussein as his successor.

“The committee established under Article 3 (First and Second) of the amended Law No. 30 of 2005 for the Federal Supreme Court met and agreed to refer the current president of the Federal Supreme Court, Judge Jassim Mohammed Abboud, to retirement for health reasons, and to nominate Judge Mundhir Ibrahim Hussein as his replacement,” the council said in a statement. It added that the President of the Republic has been contacted to issue the formal appointment decree.

The reshuffle follows a rare institutional crisis at Iraq’s highest court. On June 19, six principal and three reserve judges submitted their resignations, citing internal divisions and political pressure.

“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,” MP Soran Omer told 964media.

Hussein, born in Baghdad in 1963, holds a law degree from the University of Baghdad and graduated from the Judicial Institute in 1998. He has served on the Federal Cassation Court since 2018, where he currently leads the criminal panel and serves as deputy president. He is also a reserve member of the Federal Supreme Court.

The judiciary’s independence came under heightened scrutiny earlier this month after Abboud called for a meeting of Iraq’s top political leaders to “safeguard national stability and constitutional adherence.” Parliament declined the invitation, arguing it could undermine the court’s impartiality.

In a formal response on June 19, Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani wrote, “The judiciary is independent and subject to no authority other than the law,” citing Article 19 of Iraq’s Constitution. He warned that such meetings risked “political interference that may affect the core of judicial independence,” referencing Article 87.