Prime Minister Najib Miqati inked a decree to appoint five judges to the Higher Judicial Council as the tenure of the current members ended on June 5, An Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

According to the daily, the premier referred the decree to President Michel Suleiman. Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi signed the decree last week ahead of the end of the HJC tenure.

In May, members of Lebanon’s Court of Cassation elected two judges to the HJC which is the subject of a controversy since its head Judge Ghaleb Ghanem retired in January last year.

Judges Antoine Daher and Suhair Harakeh were elected out of four candidates who ran for the posts.

The HJC is formed of 10 members in which the head of the council, the General Prosecutor and the head of the Judicial Inspection Board are appointed by a decree issued by the cabinet... continue reading