Chief Justice Faiq Zidan chairs a joint meeting in Baghdad with members of Iraq’s top judicial bodies, including the Federal Supreme Court, to address recent resignations and reaffirm judicial independence.
Reasons for quitting 'resolved'
Federal court judges rescind resignations and return to bench following leadership change
BAGHDAD — Judges who had submitted their resignation requests from Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court have formally withdrawn them, citing the resolution of issues that prompted their resignations, officials said.
The move was announced during a joint meeting chaired by Chief Justice Faiq Zidan, head of the Supreme Judicial Council, and attended by senior judicial officials including members of the Federal Cassation Court, the head of the Public Prosecution, the head of the Judicial Supervision Authority, and newly appointed Federal Supreme Court President Mundhir Ibrahim Hussein.
“The participants congratulated Judge Mundhir Ibrahim on his appointment and expressed gratitude to the members of the Federal Supreme Court for reversing their retirement requests after the reasons prompting them had been resolved,” the council said in a statement.
The meeting also addressed judicial ethics and emphasized strict adherence to the constitution and legal frameworks. Attendees underscored the need to safeguard judicial independence and impartiality, warning against interference that could undermine the integrity of the court.
The development marks a turning point following an institutional crisis at Iraq’s highest court. On June 19, six principal and three reserve judges submitted their resignations in protest over internal conflicts and what they described as political pressure, particularly linked to the Khor Abdullah case.
“The primary reason is their disputes with Chief Justice Jassim Mohammed Abboud, along with persistent political interference in the judiciary’s work,” lawmaker Soran Omer told 964media at the time.
Abboud resigned last week, citing health reasons. He was succeeded by Judge Mundhir Ibrahim Hussein, formerly deputy president of the Federal Cassation Court and a reserve judge on the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Judicial Council confirmed his appointment under Article 3 of Amended Law No. 30 of 2005 and said it had contacted the President of the Republic to issue the formal decree.