President Joseph Aoun issued a strong call for judicial independence and integrity on Friday. “Judges must be full partners in the fight against corruption and in upholding justice and the rule of law,” he stated.
His remarks came during a ceremony held at the Presidential Palace, where three new members of Lebanon’s Higher Judicial Council officially took the oath of office before the president of the Republic. The ceremony was attended by Minister of Justice Adel Nassar and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Souheil Abboud.
President Aoun then urged the magistrates to “listen to their conscience, adhere to the law, and resist any form of pressure or intimidation.”
The newly sworn-in members – Judges Nada Dakroub, Habib Rizkallah and Ghada Abu Krum – will now serve on the nation’s highest judicial body, tasked with overseeing the integrity and independence of the judiciary.
The swearing-in follows the election of Judges Dakroub and Rizkallah on May 15, after a vote held at the Palace of Justice in Beirut. Elected ex officio by their peers, Judge Dakroub currently presides over the Eighth Chamber of the Court of Cassation, while Judge Rizkallah leads the Ninth Chamber. Both will serve a three-year term as stipulated by Lebanese law.
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