Iraqi Federal Court Suspends Implementation of Three Controversial Laws

PUKMEDIA

Iraqi Federal Supreme Court.

The Iraqi Federal Supreme Court issued a state order on Tuesday ,4 February 2025, suspending the enforcement of the general amnesty and personal status laws, as well as the property return law.

Dr. Bryar Rashid, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, told PUKMEDIA that the Federal Supreme Court issued a state order to suspend the implementation of the general amnesty law and personal status law, as well as the return of properties to their owners law, stressing that these laws will be halted rather than cancelled.

He further stated that the Federal Court's decision will have a direct impact on the situation in Iraq, as well as the work of the government and parliament. 

He also noted that it is expected that efforts will be made to hold a parliamentary session, but a large number of political parties, particularly Sunni parties, will boycott it.

According to the state order, the suspension of implementation of these laws is a temporary preventive measure until the validity and conformance of the three laws with the permanent Iraqi constitution is determined.

On 21 January 2025, the Iraqi Parliament passed the three controversial bills:  the proposal to amend the Personal Status Law No. (188) of 1959, the bill for the return of real estate to its rightful owners in areas affected by certain decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), and the bill to amend the General Amnesty Law No. (27) of 2016.

A number of parliamentarians objected during the parliamentary session, accusing Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani of violating the voting mechanism, with others confirming that the voting was performed without following formal protocols, such as raising hands.

The objecting parliamentarians filed legal complaints against the implementation of the laws, prompting the Federal Court to issue a state order suspending their implementation until the complaints were addressed.



PUKMEDIA