Sixty vacant posts filled: Supreme Judicial Council unanimously approves judicial transfers

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) unanimously approved on Tuesday evening the judicial transfers that will fill about sixty vacancies in various courts and prosecutor's offices across Lebanon. Around 50 judges are affected by these changes in assignment, with some appointed as interim in multiple positions, according to a SJC source contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour.

In an initial comment after the approval of these transfers, Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar told L'OLJ during a phone call that judicial appointments, whether general as scheduled in 2025, or partial, “have never been this far removed from political interference.” Appointments in Lebanon — whether judicial, security, diplomatic, or administrative — usually give way to political horse-trading, as each party tries to place allies in influential posts.

Among the appointments was the presidency of the criminal court in the Bekaa, which was the source of tensions a week ago between SJC members and the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Rami al-Hajj. It was reportedly awarded unanimously to Judge Sahar Abdallah, the candidate supported by the council. According to several sources, the public prosecutor left the room at the time of the vote on the appointment of Hanadi Jaber — his wife and current investigating judge in Saida — as deputy government commissioner with the military tribunal, as is customary.

Since some positions are being filled within the military tribunal, an exceptional jurisdiction, the transfer decree must, after being signed by Adel Nassar, be sent to his colleague at the Ministry of Defense, Michel Menassa, as well as to the finance minister, Yassine Jaber, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and President Joseph Aoun.

Soixante postes vacants attribués : le Conseil supérieur de la magistrature a approuvé à l'unanimité les permutations judiciaires