Iraq's top judicial bodies clash over constitutionality of suspended laws

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday defended its authority, stating that the Iraqi constitution stipulates that its rulings are “final and binding for all authorities.” The move came after the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq had earlier in the day argued that the court’s suspension of three recently amended laws was premature. Drawing on Article 94 of Iraq’s 2005 Constitution, the top court charged that its decisions are “protected from appeal,” underscoring that their implementation is mandatory. The federal court had a day prior temporarily suspended the implementation of three laws concerning general amnesty, personal status, and the return of land confiscated under the Baath regime to its original Kurdish owners. The Supreme Judicial Council on Wednesday responded to the Federal Supreme Court stating that a law “must be published in the Official Gazette before it can be constitutionally challenged,” thus noting that the court’s decision is “premature and irrelevant.”
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