Lebanon’s newly appointed top prosecutor pledges independence from political parties

He is the youngest Cassation public prosecutor in the Lebanese judiciary’s history. Two months before his 50th birthday on June 21, Ahmad Rami al-Hajj was appointed on Thursday to this key judicial post, unanimously by the Cabinet.Within judicial circles, some argue that other judges from the Sunni community — for whom this post is traditionally reserved — were better placed for the role, given their older age and seniority. Others, however, note that most candidates were neither significantly older nor substantially higher in rank, and say he has the required competence and experience.Initially, there were around ten candidates. The list was later narrowed to four, and then to three, after excluding Rabih Houssami, who was initially backed by President Joseph Aoun before he later distanced himself from him. Take a look back Jamal...