Iraqi Federal Court Suspends 3 Laws, Re-Vote Expected in Parliament

Iraq 10:27 AM - 2025-02-05

Iraqi parliament's session.

The Federal Supreme Court has issued a federal order to suspend the implementation of the general amnesty and personal status laws, as well as the law for returning properties to their rightful owners, following their approval by the Iraqi parliament.

Re-Vote Required for Amendments

Srwa Mohammed, an MP of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) bloc, informed PUKMEDIA: "After complaints were filed with the Federal Court regarding the general amnesty law, the court issued a federal order to suspend the implementation of all three laws. She added that if the Federal Court rules to annul any specific clause in the laws, the Iraqi parliament will need to re-vote on that particular clause only, in accordance with the agreement of the parliamentary blocs, as it would be challenging to re-vote on all three laws."

Federal Court Suspends Laws, No Cancellation

Dr. Bryar Rashid, another MP of the PUK bloc in the Iraqi parliament, told PUKMEDIA: The order issued by the Federal Supreme Court is a federal order, meaning it halts the implementation of these laws, rather than annulling them. 

He also said that this decision will have a direct impact on Iraq’s political and governmental landscape, and it is anticipated that there will be efforts to convene a session of the Iraqi parliament to address these new developments.

On January 21, the Iraqi parliament voted on three laws: the proposed Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959 (Articles 2 and 10), the draft law to return real estate to their owners in accordance with certain decisions of the dissolved Revolutionary Command Council, and the draft law to amend the second general amnesty law No. 27 of 2016. 

As stated in the executive order, the suspension of these laws is a temporary precautionary measure, pending a decision on their constitutionality and alignment with the permanent Iraqi Constitution.



PUKMEDIA