Judicial independence draft law approved by committee, set to move to Parliament, Adwan says

Lebanese Forces MP Georges Adwan, head of the parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee, announced on Thursday that the committee finalized the draft law on the independence of the judiciary and will refer it to the General Assembly of Parliament for discussion and approval.

The announcement follows a committee session held on Tuesday, attended by Justice Minister Judge Adel Nassar, which continued deliberations on the proposed Judicial Law, commonly known as the Law on the Independence of the Judiciary.

Adwan had said that there is "an understanding with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri to refer the law to the General Assembly immediately upon completion of its study."

He further indicated that "there is a strong possibility that a session of the General Assembly will be held at the end of this month," adding: "We will ensure the law is passed as quickly as possible, as we promised the Lebanese people."

President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Nassar had all pledged to revive Lebanon’s judiciary and push for the bill’s approval. The version of the law previously adopted was drafted by Nassar. He had amended a previous version proposed by Parliament’s Administration and Justice Committee in March 2023. The changes were made following consultations with various judicial and civil bodies, as well as recommendations from the Venice Commission and the Justice Forum.

It was approved by Salam's Cabinet on May 2, 2025.

The judicial independence bill, initially proposed in 2018, aimed to ensure a transparent and independent judiciary free from political interference.