Central – Despite the absence of its president, Judge Suhail Abboud, the High Council of the Judiciary met at the invitation of Justice Minister Henry Khoury. Judge Ghassan Oweidat presided over the session, in the presence of Judges Afif Al-Hakim, Habib Mezher, Danny Shibli, Mireille Haddad and Elias Richa, at the invitation of the Minister of Justice in the Provisional Government, Judge Henry Al-Khoury, second to his book no. 1866 / s of 5/10/2022, which defines the agenda with two points:
– Decide on the question of the appointment of the heads of the Chambers of the Court of Cassation.
– Take a position with a negative or positive vote on the name of the judge proposed for assignment in the case of a port explosion, according to the decision of the Superior Council of the Judiciary no. 16 / RQ / 2022 of 9/8/2022, and the first president, Judge Suhail Abboud, was absent from the session. That the quorum of the meeting is legal.
The session opened at 11.15 and the topics covered were discussed.Before addressing the two issues, which are the subject of the book of the Minister of Justice, the city councilor, judge Habib Mezher, suggested raising the question of the admissibility proposal of the graduate judges, which is the subject of the book of the President of the Institute of Judicial Lessons N. 357 AD. 10/6/2022, the session president, Judge Oweidat, agreed to present and discuss the proposal to the council and the council agreed to announce the eligibility of trainee judges, object of the book of the president of the Institute of Judicial Studies above.
In addressing the first item on the agenda, it was decided to postpone the decision on further consultation with the names that Council members could propose.
As part of the resolution, the members of the Council affirmed that their meeting today constitutes their commitment to the text of the law and beyond any political whim, and with the aim of guaranteeing the functioning of the judicial structure and follow up on the moral and material conditions of the judges.
It was decided to appoint the next session of the Council on Tuesday 18/10/2022 at 13:00.
In addressing the second item on the agenda relating to the vote for the appointment of the presiding judge in the case of the explosion of the port of Beirut, Vice-President Judge Ghassan Oueidat withdrew from the session and was adjourned.
Vigil: in conjunction with the session, the families of the victims of the port attack and some activists organized a vigil in front of the Palace of Justice to express their refusal to manipulate this file.
William Noun, brother of Jo Noun, one of the victims of the firefighters, said that “the decision of the Minister of Justice is immoral”, considering that what Judge Abboud did in rejecting political interference in the investigation of the explosion of the port was the right thing, asking him to complete what he was doing.
He said: “What is happening today is a farce,” stressing that the people will oppose any substitute judge who is appointed.
Noun found the Minister of Justice’s decision immoral, and what Judge Abboud did in rejecting political interference must be completed, and what is happening today is a farce.
