EUJUST LEX is a civilian crisis management operation conducted under the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The core aim is to foster confidence, mutual respect and operational cooperation between the different branches of the Iraqi criminal justice system (police, judiciary and penitentiary). The operational phase of the EUJUST LEX mission started on 1 July […]
Read MoreWe have translated a paper by Judge Nassir Omran al-Mousawi setting out a history of the Public Prosecution service and making proposals for further reform to enable the service to achieve its potential and fill the roles allotted to it by current Iraqi legislation. Judge Nassir notes that the Public Prosecution is not yet able […]
Read MoreThe Higher Judicial Council issued a press release on 31 December 2009 announcing that it had signed an agreement with the UNDP and the German Government to provide support during the next two years to the newly opened Judicial Development Institute for the development of curricula for teaching civil law to enable judiciary and court […]
Read MoreOn 24 December 2009, the Higher Judicial Council hosted a conference on criminal evidence. The opening address was given by Chief Justice Medhat al-Mahmoud and speakers included Prime Minister Al-Maliki and the US, UK and Australian Ambassadors. Representatives from the Ministry of Interior including Brigadier Dr. Iden Khalid, Deputy Interior Minister, from the judiciary including […]
Read MoreFrom October 2001 until early 2003 over 200 international experts and exiled Iraqi engineers, lawyers, businesspeople, doctors and others, spearheaded by the US State Department, met to discuss and advise on public health and humanitarian needs, transparency and anti-corruption, oil and energy, defense policy and institutions, transitional justice, democratic principles and procedures, local government, civil […]
Read MoreSee here for the previous history of the 2009 amendment to the election law On 3 December 2009, the Federal Supreme Court issued Opinion 76 of 2009 confirming that the members of Presidency Council have until Sunday 6 December 2009 to consider their exercise of veto. The decision in the original Arabic can be found […]
Read MoreThe normal Federal Judiciary is described here. This post lists the courts and tribunals outside the administration of the Higher Judicial Council. Article 95 of the Constitution states that: The establishment of special or extraordinary courts is prohibited. Article 15(I) of the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL) had stated: Civilians may not be tried before a […]
Read MoreAfter the 1958 Revolution, Iraq had a series of interim or temporary constitutions. The Revolutionary Command Council as a legislative power came into being in 1963, pursuant to Law No. 25 of 1963 which was replaced by Law No. 61 of 1964, amended by Law No. 173 of 1964 and then repealed by Law No. […]
Read MoreThe structure of the Kurdistan Regional court and judicial system closely follows that of the Federal judiciary. Decree No. 11 of August 1992 and the Judicial Authority Law No. 44 of December 1992 set out the basis for the judiciary in the region as an autonomous independent establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The Courts […]
Read MoreThe Federal Judiciary is administered by the Higher Judicial Council which compiles regular statistical reports on the state of the judiciary and its caseload, outside the 3 Kurdish governorates administered from Erbil, published on its excellent website. The most recent report, issued in April 2009, relates to the number of judges and reveals that there […]
Read More