Mass judicial exodus threatens Iraqi elections
Shafaq News/ Iraq is heading toward a constitutional crisis just months before parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, as the mass resignation of Federal Supreme Court judges threatens to derail the electoral timeline, a top legal expert warned on Friday.
Hazem al-Rudaini, Deputy Head of Iraq's Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR), cautioned that the resignations jeopardize the legal foundation of the election. 'It is constitutionally impossible to hold parliamentary elections without the Federal Supreme Court,' he said, pointing to Article 93(7) of the 2005 Constitution, which grants the Court sole authority to ratify election results.
Nine judges, including six principal members, resigned Thursday in protest over political pressure, reportedly linked to the Court's 2023 ruling that annulled the 2013 Khor Abdullah maritime agreement with Kuwait. A judicial source told Shafaq News that the fallout from that decision triggered their departure.
Members of the Parliamentary Legal Committee expressed alarm. MP Mohammed al-Khafaji described the resignations as 'deeply troubling,' while MP Raed al-Maliki accused political factions of hijacking the judiciary. 'The government and certain parties want to turn the Federal Court into a tool, all while claiming to protect national sovereignty,' he asserted.
Al-Maliki criticized the broader 'failure' of Iraq's Shiite leadership to insulate institutions from political interference, warning that the situation sets a dangerous precedent and confirming that parliament is holding emergency consultations to safeguard judicial independence.
The crisis stems from a September 2023 ruling in which the Court nullified Law No. 42 of 2013, invalidating Iraq's navigation agreement with Kuwait over the Khor Abdullah waterway. The Court ruled the law unconstitutional, claiming it lacked the two-thirds majority required under Article 61(4).
In April 2025, Iraq's president and prime minister appealed the ruling, arguing the agreement covered maritime coordination—not border demarcation—and should fall under Iraq's obligations under the 1966 Vienna Convention.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Rudaw Net
an hour ago
- Rudaw Net
Nine Iraqi top court members resign
Also in Iraq Unidentified flying object injures 5 children in Iraq's Salahaddin province Iraq monitoring social media amid regional tensions Electoral commission not affected by Supreme Court resignations Basra airport bustling with travelers amid regional flight ban A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Nine members of Iraq's Federal Supreme Court submitted their resignations on Thursday in protest against the court's chief justice, casting a planned session on the Kurdistan Region's civil servant salaries into uncertainty. Six main and three reserve members of the court resigned over disputes with Chief Justice Jassim al-Umairi, according to Rudaw's reporter on the ground. The court is made up of a total nine main members and four reserves. 'The behavior of the court president is unacceptable to us, and we are tired of dealing with his working manners,' a court member who resigned told Rudaw. One of the members is a Kurd from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). This comes ahead of a planned session - which was set for Thursday - at the request of public servants in the Kurdistan Region, seeking an injunction to compel the federal government to resume salary payments. However, the resignations have cast the session into uncertainty. Soran Omar, an Iraqi parliament lawmaker from the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal), questioned the reason behind their resignation. 'The judges' excuse is having problems with the court president, but the real reason is still unclear,' he told Rudaw. Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad intensified in late May when the federal finance ministry halted all budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including the salaries of more than 1.2 million public sector employees. The ministry stated that the decision was due to the Region exceeding its 12.67 percent share of the 2025 federal budget. The move has drawn widespread condemnation from Kurdish parties, who argue the suspension is politically driven and unconstitutional. Halkawt Aziz contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
an hour ago
- Rudaw Net
Electoral commission not affected by Supreme Court resignations
Also in Iraq Unidentified flying object injures 5 children in Iraq's Salahaddin province Iraq monitoring social media amid regional tensions Basra airport bustling with travelers amid regional flight ban Fired Basra airport director denies eavesdropping accusations A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's electoral commission on Saturday said the recent resignation of nine judges from the Federal Supreme Court will not have a direct impact on their work ahead of an election later this year, though the court must approve the results. 'The resignation of Iraq's Federal Supreme Court members will not have a direct impact on the commission's work, because the commission is independent and has its own special law, budget, and judicial apparatus for electoral affairs,' Imad Jamil, head of media for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), told Rudaw on Saturday. 'Therefore, elections will be held at their designated time, which is November 11 of this year,' he added. Nine members of Iraq's Federal Supreme Court submitted their resignations on Thursday, though the reason remains unclear. One court member said it was in protest over the chief justice. The court has also been in a dispute with the Supreme Judicial Council over implementing controversial laws. Jamil explained that the Federal Supreme Court's approval is the final step in verifying the election results. First, the preliminary results will be announced by IHEC within 24 hours of the election and then the Board of Commissioners and a special committee will review complaints. The nine judges who submitted their resignations are still legally members of the court until their resignations are accepted, according to Dara Sekaniany, a member of the Iraqi parliament's Legal Committee. 'Those people must receive a response, either by approving their request or rejecting it. If they don't receive a response within 30 days, then they are considered resigned,' he said. One of the judges is a Kurd from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Tehran: No evidence of nuclear deviation
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, Iran asserted that its nuclear program remains peaceful, while its military intensified drone strikes on Israeli targets. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told Alaraby TV that Tehran's nuclear activities are legal, affirming, 'There is no evidence we've deviated from peaceful aims.' Baqaei accused Israel of obstructing diplomacy, insisting that Iran remains committed to dialogue. 'We never left the table.' Defending Tehran's recent military operations, Baqaei framed them as responses to Israeli aggression, warning that any US intervention would trigger a reaction 'in line with international law.' He also urged neighboring governments not to ignore what he described as Israel's destabilizing role in the region. Separately, Iran's military confirmed it had launched dozens of 'suicide drones ' in what it labeled the seventh and eighth phases of its aerial campaign, adding, 'Most drones reached their targets.' Tensions have escalated sharply since June 13, when Iran and Israel began openly trading daily missile and drone strikes. Despite mounting international pressure for de-escalation, both sides continue to exchange fire across multiple fronts.
