Lebanon Judicial Escalation Threatens New Disruptions

An empty courtroom at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, with no judges or litigants (AFP)
An empty courtroom at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, with no judges or litigants (AFP)
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Lebanon Judicial Escalation Threatens New Disruptions

An empty courtroom at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, with no judges or litigants (AFP)
An empty courtroom at the Palace of Justice in Beirut, with no judges or litigants (AFP)

More than 100 Lebanese judges have recently announced an immediate work stoppage, a protest that stems from dire living conditions and their deprivation of even the most basic allowances, particularly healthcare and education for their children.

This move coincides with the start of the new judicial year midway through September, potentially opening the door to a new disruption in the performance of the judiciary, which has been operating at a minimum capacity or what could be described as “caretaker mode” since the beginning of 2023.

In response to this development, the Justice Minister in the caretaker government hastened to emphasize that he places the demands of the judges as a top priority and will work diligently to address them promptly.

The minister reassured that there is no cause for concern regarding the judicial year and that there will be no return to a state of judicial strike or paralysis in the justice system.

Without warning, 111 judges from the judicial, administrative, and financial branches in Lebanon announced the strike as of Friday.

Protesting judges blamed the state’s inability to cover healthcare, medicine, and education for them and their families, the deplorable working conditions in the halls of justice that fail to uphold human dignity, and the deteriorating situation of the judiciary.

They said that those factors had compelled them to “cease work from the start of September until the conditions for living and working with dignity are met.”

A protesting judge, who requested anonymity, emphasized that the decision to suspend work “serves as a cry for help and a warning to officials that the judicial reality cannot remain as it is.”

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, the judge said: “The decision of these judges could snowball and threaten to disrupt the upcoming judicial year, especially since the work stoppage was the result of negotiations and discussions we conducted with the Judicial Council and our diligent attempts to secure the minimum rights of judges, but unfortunately, we have not achieved any results.”

The judicial landscape represents the most vivid manifestation of the collapse that has plagued Lebanese state institutions since the onset of the financial and economic crisis in late 2019.

Judges have lost over 90% of their salaries due to the collapse of the national currency, in addition to the loss of basic benefits such as healthcare, education, and other incentives that they enjoyed before the crisis.



Israel Accuses Hezbollah of Violating Ceasefire Agreement

FILE - Municipality workers pass by debris of damaged buildings that were hit by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 31, 2024.  (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - Municipality workers pass by debris of damaged buildings that were hit by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
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Israel Accuses Hezbollah of Violating Ceasefire Agreement

FILE - Municipality workers pass by debris of damaged buildings that were hit by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 31, 2024.  (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE - Municipality workers pass by debris of damaged buildings that were hit by an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday evening in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)

Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah group of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement reached between the two sides late in November, warning of the consequences.
Katz said if Hezbollah does not withdraw from southern Lebanon, there will be no agreement,” and Israel will be forced to act.
The Israeli minister emphasized that Hezbollah has not yet withdrawn “beyond the Litani River” in south Lebanon, believing this would reduce the threat by about 40 kilometers from its settlements.
He added, "If this condition is not fulfilled, there will be no agreement, and Israel will be forced to act alone to ensure the safe return of the residents of the north to their homes," according to AFP.

The deal struck on Nov. 27 to halt the Israeli-Hezbollah war required Hezbollah to immediately lay down its arms in southern Lebanon and gave Israel 60 days to withdraw its forces there and hand over control to the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers.

So far, Israel has withdrawn from just two of the dozens of towns it holds in southern Lebanon. And it has continued striking what it says are bases belonging to Hezbollah, which it accuses of attempting to launch rockets and move weapons before they can be confiscated and destroyed, The AP reported.

Hezbollah, which was severely diminished during nearly 14 months of war, has threatened to resume fighting if Israel does not fully withdraw its forces by the 60-day deadline.

Yet despite accusations from both sides about hundreds of ceasefire violations, the truce is likely to hold, analysts say. That is good news for thousands of Israeli and Lebanese families displaced by the war still waiting to return home.