Lebanon's judicial corruption case: What’s next for ongoing prosecutions?

Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

A judicial corruption case initiated by the Mount Lebanon Court of Appeals prosecution in 2019 and later referred to the Public Prosecution Office revealed the names of about 15 judges, who were primarily accused of accepting bribes from individuals referred to as the "justice brokers."

However, criminal prosecution remains ongoing for only two judges indicted by the Public Prosecution Office: former First Investigative Judge in the Bekaa, Imad al-Zein, who was arrested in person last Monday, and former head of the Indictment Chamber in the Bekaa, Judge Ousama al-Lahham, who is set to appear before Investigative Judge Pierre Francis on April 7.

This raises the question: In 2025, does the Public Prosecution Office have the authority to fully reopen the 2019 case and pursue criminal charges against the remaining judges among the 15 who were initially suspected of corruption?

Even judges who were dismissed through disciplinary action or who resigned could still face criminal prosecution.

To curb judicial bribery, several measures are necessary: strengthening judicial oversight, increasing judicial appointments and rotations to prevent any judge from remaining in the same position for years, and updating judicial ethics principles, originally established in 2005, to clearly define what is permissible and prohibited, as is the case in developed countries.