Palestinian judges resign in protest against executive branch interference
Fourteen judges from the Supreme Court of Palestine announced their collective resignations Sept. 5 in protest against amendments to the Judicial Authority Law that would pave the way for the executive branch’s interference in the judicial sector.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Judges from the Supreme Court of Palestine announced Sept. 5 their collective resignations in protest against amendments to the Judicial Authority Law. The amendments were suggested by the Justice Sector Development Committee, whose members are appointed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Abbas had issued a decree on Sept. 6, 2017, to establish the Justice Sector Development Committee in order for it to discuss ways and mechanisms for the development of the Palestinian judiciary.
The committee consists of nine people: the president of the Supreme Judicial Council, the minister of justice, the attorney general, the legal adviser to the president, the director general of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, the head of the Palestinian Bar Association and the deans of the faculties of law at the universities of Birzeit, An-Najah and Al-Quds.
The resignations were announced in a statement published Sept. 5 by the Palestinian Judges Association on its Facebook page.
