President of the HJC, Souheil Abboud: “My mission as a magistrate is more noble than any other." (Courtesy of the Higher Judicial Council)
Never before has a president of the Higher Judicial Council faced so much pressure. In a country where separation of powers exists only in the Constitution, Souheil Abboud is fighting an ongoing battle. His main opponent? Lebanese President Michel Aoun.Under pressure from the European Union to improve the image of Lebanon’s judiciary, Aoun supported Abboud’s appointment in September 2019. Today, however, the HJC president is the target of a campaign orchestrated by the Aounist camp.President Aoun’s son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, openly lashed out at Abboud during a press conference on Sept. 29, accusing him of “corruption” and “abuse of power.” At issue? The appointment of an alternate judge to Judge Tarek Bitar, lead investigator of the Beirut port explosion, which has been blocked by multiple recusal requests filed against Bitar by...
Never before has a president of the Higher Judicial Council faced so much pressure. In a country where separation of powers exists only in the Constitution, Souheil Abboud is fighting an ongoing battle. His main opponent? Lebanese President Michel Aoun.Under pressure from the European Union to improve the image of Lebanon’s judiciary, Aoun supported Abboud’s appointment in September 2019. Today, however, the HJC president is the target of a campaign orchestrated by the Aounist camp.President Aoun’s son-in-law, Gebran Bassil, openly lashed out at Abboud during a press conference on Sept. 29, accusing him of “corruption” and “abuse of power.” At issue? The appointment of an alternate judge to Judge Tarek Bitar, lead investigator of the Beirut port explosion, which has been blocked by multiple recusal requests filed against...
