After nearly a year since judges returned from their strike, which extended from August to December 2022, some have announced their decision to suspend work until further notice.
One hundred eleven judges out of approximately 500 that comprise the judicial body agreed on Thursday evening through their WhatsApp group to go on strike starting Monday. The judges are still on their judicial vacation, which ends on the fifteenth of September. Therefore, the strike's impact will be significant only in the chambers where substitute judges are present if they were part of the strike.
The reasons behind some judges retaking this step are as follows:
First, there is delay in the disbursement of the financial allowance given to them monthly in addition to their salaries, which ranges between five hundred and twelve hundred dollars depending on each judge, and it has not been paid for August.
Second, the failure to fulfill promises made to them when they ended their previous strike regarding increasing the resources of the solidarity fund. The fund no longer covers the total cost of healthcare; instead, only a portion is covered in Lebanese pounds at an exchange rate of 30,000 pounds.
As for family compensations, judges have been informed that they will receive school allowances in Lebanese pounds, while all schools charge fees in dollars.
Third, the deteriorating conditions of the judiciary palaces.
In contrast to those who chose to go on strike, some judges believe this step will not yield any benefit, especially during vacation. Some have chosen to wait until after the General Assembly called for by the Supreme Judicial Council between the fifteenth and the twentieth of September.
They consider that this decision should be issued by the Supreme Judicial Council, which is monitoring the matter through meetings with the Minister of Justice, the President of the Council of State, the President of the Court of Audit, and the President of the Judges' Solidarity Fund, Judge Ali Ibrahim.
Will the concerned parties find a solution to the judges' demands, or will a new judicial crisis erupt after the end of the judicial vacation on the fifteenth of this month?