Lebanese judges will resume activities after months-long strike

After an almost six-month-long strike, work will resume at the palaces of justice early next week.

In a statement, the Supreme Judicial Council urged the judges to resume their work. Some sources pointed out that the statement resulted from an agreement reached by the judges at the General Assembly of Judges, which met before the Supreme Judicial Council meeting.

Due to the accumulation of files, work may initially be slow in the palaces of justice. Thus, the oldest files in civil courts will be prioritized, while criminal files are meant to flow simultaneously, especially those related to arrests.

Each judge sets their working hours based on their capabilities.

Furthermore, the attendance requirements for a judge who works and lives in the same governorate differ from those for a judge who works and lives in another governorate.

Accordingly, the First President of the Court of Appeal in each governorate organizes the courts' work and has the authority to redistribute files among judges as necessary.

However, the judicial staff suffers from nearly 200 judges shortage, and each judge oversees more than one court today.

In this regard, the sources indicated that discussion is ongoing on the possibility of enlisting the assistance of judges who took the oath in the last two years but have yet to be assigned to the courts.

The court's logistical setup will also play a role in the organization of judges' work.

A donor will fund cleaning services for the Beirut, Baabda, and Jdeideh justice palaces for an entire year.

Additionally, solar panels were provided to light Baabda's criminal courtroom and hallway, and donors have pledged to power Beirut's justice palace with solar energy.

In order to provide a productive work environment, the Ministry of Justice and the first heads in the governorates are simultaneously working to obtain stationery supplies and energy for all palaces of justice.