Justice Reform Tracker[1]
Reform
Area: Judiciary
Independence & Accountability
Last Updated: November 2025
Citizen Impact Summary
|
Dimension |
Snapshot |
Source |
|
Who
Is Affected? |
Victims of the 2020
Beirut Port explosion, depositors impacted by the 2019 financial meltdown,
and all Lebanese residents denied timely legal recourse due to a paralyzed
judiciary. With the August 2025 passage of the Judicial Independence Law and
signing of the judicial formations decree, judges gained operational
independence, partially restoring citizens’ hope for accountability.
Vulnerable litigants, particularly women, low-income families, and political
dissidents, remain most affected by prior delays. |
HRW 2025; Amnesty 2025; World Bank Lebanon - Systematic country
diagnostic, Summer 2024; An‑Nahar 31 July 2025 |
|
Financial
Burden? |
High: delays in accountability prolong corruption and
undermine fiscal justice. |
World Bank Lebanon - Systematic country
diagnostic, Summer 2024 |
|
Public
Services? |
The judiciary's
historic lack of independence hindered the delivery of justice and eroded
public trust, but passage of the Judicial Independence Law and activation of
judicial formations are expected to improve service delivery and enable
high-profile trials. |
World Bank Lebanon - Systematic country
diagnostic, Summer 2024; L’Orient-Le Jour 1 Aug 2025 |
|
Mental Health Toll? |
Prolonged delays in justice, especially concerning the
Beirut port explosion, have contributed to societal trauma and a sense of
impunity. Recent reforms may begin to
alleviate this public despair if investigations proceed without obstruction. |
Overview
& Objectives
|
Goal |
Establish a fully
independent, impartial, and effective judiciary that guarantees access to
justice and upholds the rule of law. |
|
Strategic
Importance |
Judicial reform is central to rebuilding public trust,
unlocking international financial support (e.g., IMF), and ending impunity
for major crimes including the Beirut Port explosion and financial
corruption. The EU, World Bank and UN have linked reconstruction aid to an
“independent and transparent judiciary.” |
|
Key
Reform Priorities |
·
Implement newly enacted
Judicial Independence Law (Aug 2025) ·
Activate judicial
formations and newly appointed Court of Cassation and HJC members. ·
Protection of judicial
investigations from political interference ·
Adoption of law on
administrative courts ·
Digitalization and capacity development of courts ·
Unblock and finalize
Beirut Port explosion investigation. |
Reform
Actions & Status
Specific
Reform Actions & Accountability
|
Reform Action Required |
Current Status |
Lead Authority |
Implementing Body |
Oversight / Supporting Actors |
Primary Source |
||
|
Return
law to Parliament under Article 57 for reconsideration |
Pending scheduling
on the parliamentary agenda; no re-vote held by end-November, with
legislative sessions repeatedly disrupted by disputes over the electoral law. |
Presidency |
N.A. |
Parliament |
Asharq
Al-Awsat, 2 Oct 2025, on halted sessions due to boycotts. |
||
|
Rebalance
Council of the Judiciary composition and voting |
Council set at 4
elected, 4 ex officio, plus 2 selected by the eight; override of appointment
deadlock requires 7 of 10. Experts urge a majority of elected members and a
lower override threshold. |
Parliament |
N.A. |
Venice Commission,
civil society |
|
||
|
Address
Article 42 authority of Prosecutor General |
Law allows the
Prosecutor General at Cassation to order lower prosecutors to halt
proceedings, creating a major risk of interference. Requires amendment or
strict safeguards. |
Parliament |
N.A. |
HRW, legal experts,
Venice Commission |
|||
|
Decide
on promulgation or return to Parliament |
Judges Club formally
asked the President on 12 Aug 2025 not to publish and to return the law for
proper review. Reporting indicates possible return or a constitutional
challenge if published. |
Presidency |
N.A. |
MPs intending
constitutional review |
Judges
Club press conference, 25 Aug 2025; Malak
Aqil, 23 Aug 2025 |
||
|
Enact
law on judicial independence |
Adopted 31 July 2025
as a single-article vote without article-by-article debate. Positive elements
on governance, evaluation, expression, and candidacy, but significant flaws
remain. |
Parliament, Justice
& Administration Committee |
Justice & Admin Committee |
Justice Forum, Legal
Forum for Justice, Venice Commission |
|||
|
Adopt
internal bylaws and transparency tools mandated by the law |
Required by the new law to strengthen governance and
standardize procedures, to be prepared ahead of entry into force on 1 Jan
2026. |
HJC |
HJC and judicial bodies |
Civil society observers |
|||
|
Safeguard
judges’ freedom of expression with workable notification |
Law affirms freedoms and requires notifying the HJC
President 48 hours before media appearances. Needs a narrow, objective
protocol to avoid chilling effects. |
HJC |
HJC |
Civil society, bar associations |
|||
|
Advance administrative courts reform |
Remains a priority parallel to the judicial law to ensure
comprehensive justice sector reform. |
Parliament |
Justice & Admin Committee |
Venice Commission |
|||
|
Finalize
general judicial appointments / formations |
PM Salam signed the full judicial formations decree on 1
Aug 2025 as prepared by the HJC; operationalizes judicial careers and case
allocations. |
Council of Ministers |
HJC |
MoJ |
|||
|
Restore
quorum at Court of Cassation |
April 2025 decree appointed the ten presidents of
Cassation chambers, re-establishing quorum. Draft law introduces an
automatic-enactment clause for future appointments to prevent deadlock. |
Court of Cassation |
Council of Ministers |
Justice Minister, President, Prime Minister |
|||
|
Finalize
general judicial appointments |
Between April and mid-May 2025, the Cabinet appointed 7
members of the Higher Judicial Council (HJC), including prominent presidents
of courts. Two additional members (Judges Rizkallah and Dakroub) were elected
on 15 May by the Court of Cassation. The Council has now reached legal quorum
and will begin partial judicial formations. The 10th and final member is
pending appointment by decree. |
HJC |
President of the
Republic, Council of Ministers, Court of Cassation |
Justice Minister |
|||
|
Adopt
law on administrative courts |
Drafting by sub‑committee under Justice & Admin
Committee |
Parliament |
Justice & Admin Committee |
Venice Commission,
Legal Forum for Justice, Justice Forum |
|||
|
Operationalize
fair investigation of Beirut Port explosion and political crimes |
Legal quorum
restored; with new law and formations, procedural barriers lifted; political
immunities remain the primary obstacle. |
Court of Cassation,
General Assembly, Investigative Judges |
Ministry of Justice,
Judicial Investigating Unit |
UN Human Rights Council, civil society |
Ministerial
Statement, 25 Feb 2025; HRW 2025; Amnesty 2025; OJ C, C/2024/4000, 17.7.2024,
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4000/oj |
||
|
Digitalize
court case management |
Not started |
Ministry of Justice |
MoJ IT Dept. |
World Bank, UNDP |
World Bank Lebanon - Systematic country
diagnostic, Summer 2024 |
||
|
Reform
HJC appointment process |
Draft law with hybrid formula pending secondary
amendments; interim relief achieved through August 2025 formations. |
Ministry of Justice |
Higher Judicial Council |
Parliament, Venice Commission, Lebanese Judges Assoc. |
Compilation
of Venice Commission Opinions and Reports concerning Judges, 2025; Legal Agenda, 5–6 May 2025; Coalition for Judicial Independence
Statement, 7 May 2025. |
||
|
Enforce
anti-corruption measures within judiciary |
National
Anti-Corruption Commission established; initial audits commenced. |
National Anti-Corruption Commission |
Judicial Inspection Authority |
UNDP, Transparency International |
|||
|
Grant
autonomy to Judicial Inspection Board |
Draft enhances independence and broadens nomination
channels (HJC, Council of State, Court of Audit) but leaves procedural-appeal
gaps. |
Ministry of Justice |
Judicial Inspection Board |
Higher Judicial Council |
OJ C, C/2024/4000, 17.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4000/oj; Legal Agenda, 5–6 May 2025; Venice Commission, June 2022 opinion |
||
|
Launch
courtroom operations in Roumieh prison |
National and regional observers noted reactivation in 2025
and urged expansion; no reverse trend reported in Oct–Nov. |
Ministry of Justice |
ISF, Judiciary |
Beirut Bar Association, civil society |
Reform
Roadmap Timeline & Critical Path
Recent
Milestone
|
Date |
Description |
Critical Path Status |
Source |
|
5 Sep
2025 |
President returned the Judicial Independence Law to
Parliament by Decree 1105 under Article 57 with detailed reasons. |
Re-deliberation
required |
|
|
23 Aug
2025 |
Reporting indicated potential presidential return or
constitutional challenge if promulgated. |
Decision point |
|
|
12 Aug
2025 |
Judges Club requested the President not to publish and to
return the law to Parliament. |
Pending executive
decision |
|
|
7 Aug
2025 |
HRW assessed the law as containing positive reforms yet
insufficient to ensure independence, urged amendments in line with Venice
Commission. |
Guidance issued |
|
|
1 Aug
2025 |
PM Salam signed judicial formations decree, completing
full HJC and Cassation appointments. |
Completed |
|
|
31 July
2025 |
Parliament adopted the Judicial Independence Law by
single-article procedure, with last-minute insertions and no
article-by-article vote. |
|
|
|
June
17–18, 2025 |
Parliamentary committee session on judicial independence
law ends in deadlock; conflict between Justice Minister and committee chair
escalates |
Blocked |
|
|
June 3,
2025 |
First trial sessions held in Roumieh courtroom; 20
sessions, 7 verdicts rendered |
In progress |
|
|
May 2,
2025 |
Cabinet approves final draft Law on Judicial Independence; Referral of Judicial Independence
Law from Government to Parliament Pending; Parliament awaits formal
submission from government. |
Completed |
|
|
May 7, 2025 |
Civil society calls for ratification and further
amendments |
In progress |
|
|
May 15,
2025 |
Judges Rizkallah and Dakroub elected unopposed by the
Court of Cassation to the Higher Judicial Council |
Completed |
Next
Steps – Transparency and Accountability Calendar
|
Action |
Responsible Entity |
Target Date |
Source |
|
Parliament
to re-deliberate the returned law per Article 57 with line-by-line fixes
specified in Decree 1105 |
Parliament & Justice & Admin Committee |
Q4 2025 |
|
|
Prepare
and publish the internal bylaws and transparency mechanisms required by the
law |
HJC |
Before 1 Jan 2026 |
|
|
Table
amendments to Article 42, Council composition, and 7-of-10 threshold, and
align with Venice Commission |
Parliament, Justice & Admin Committee |
Before 1 Jan 2026 |
|
|
If
published, file targeted constitutional challenge focusing on procedure and
core defects |
Concerned MPs |
Upon publication |
|
|
Decide
on publication or return of the law for re-deliberation |
President of the Republic |
Aug–Sep 2025 |
Judges
Club press conference, 25 Aug 2025; Malak
Aqil, 23 Aug 2025 |
|
Publish
implementing decrees and internal bylaws for Judicial Independence Law |
MoJ & HJC |
Q3 2025 |
|
|
Expand
in-prison court hearings to other facilities and publish quarterly stats |
MoJ & Judiciary |
N/A |
|
|
Government
to refer draft Judicial Independence Law to Parliament |
Council of Ministers |
Q2–Q3 2025 |
Ministerial
Statement, 25 Feb 2025; Legal Agenda, 5–6 May 2025 |
|
Parliament
to begin review of judicial independence law to be finalized and adopted |
Justice & Admin Committee; Parliament; Conditional on government submission |
Q2–Q3 2025 |
|
|
Incorporate
Venice Commission feedback in final amendments |
Justice & Admin Committee; Parliament |
Q2–Q3 2025 |
Legal Agenda, 5–6 May 2025; Coalition for Judicial Independence
Statement, 7 May 2025 |
|
Conduct
general judicial reshuffle, including transfers and appointments without delay |
Council of Ministers & Higher Judicial Council |
Expected Q2 2025,
post-quorum |
|
|
Public
hearings on judicial appointments and oversight roles |
Parliament + Civil Society |
2025 |
|
|
Resume
Beirut blast investigation |
Investigating Judges, HJC |
Immediate |
HRW 2025; Amnesty 2025; OJ C, C/2024/4000, 17.7.2024,
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4000/oj |
|
Nominate
final HJC member |
Minister of Justice (via President of Republic) |
Immediate |
|
|
Remove
executive barriers delaying Beirut blast investigations |
Government of Lebanon |
Immediate |
|
|
Digitalize
court processes and case access including publishing feasibility roadmap
for digital case management |
Minister of Justice |
2025–2026 |
Implementation
Bottlenecks & Required Actions
|
Bottleneck |
Official Explanation |
Required Action |
Source |
|
Committee
obstruction and institutional conflict |
Committee chair rejected government’s endorsed draft,
blocked Justice Minister participation, and reverted to older 2023 version |
Reinstate government-endorsed draft on the agenda and
resume participatory review process in line with Article 35 and 38 of
internal regulations |
Legal
Agenda, 12 June 2025; Parliament Monitoring Observatory, 18 June
2025 |
|
Partial
adherence to Venice Commission recommendations |
Cabinet adopted only 1 out of 8 recommendations fully |
Parliament to incorporate Venice Commission advice during
review phase |
|
|
Lack of
HJC independence and politicized appointments |
Political interference in judiciary persistently blocks
reform |
Enact HJC law reforming composition, insulation from
politics |
HRW 2025; Amnesty 2025; World Bank Lebanon - Systematic country
diagnostic, Summer 2024 |
|
Delays
in judicial appointments and transfers |
Administrative backlog and political vetoes |
Expedite judicial formations via clear timelines |
|
|
Obstruction of key investigations and stalled port
blast investigation |
Legal and
administrative barriers lifted (Cassation quorum restored); Abuse of
immunities and refusal to appear before judiciary; political immunity, legal loopholes |
Lift immunities,
permit international inquiry support; enable unimpeded access to judicial
process for lead investigators |
|
|
Draft judicial laws remain unratified |
Delayed legislative action |
Parliament to pass laws in line with Venice Commission
advice |
Legal Agenda, 5–6 May 2025; Coalition for Judicial Independence
Statement, 7 May 2025 |
|
Low digital capacity across courts |
Absence of a unified digital platform for case tracking; No digital infrastructure. |
Adopt phased rollout of court digitalization |
Ministerial
Statement, 25 Feb 2025; World Bank Lebanon – SCD, Summer 2024 |
Stakeholders
& Roles
|
Entity |
Core Function |
|
Ministry of Justice |
Drafts judicial policy, countersigns decrees |
|
Higher Judicial Council |
Governs judicial careers & appointments |
|
Court of Cassation |
Final civil/criminal appeals; elects HJC members |
|
Parliament
Justice & Admin Committee |
Prepares judiciary bills |
|
National
Anti-Corruption Commission |
Investigates and prosecutes corruption within public
institutions |
|
Justice Forum (منتدى العدالة) |
National participatory platform (launched Feb 2024)
coordinating judicial reform roadmap; includes judiciary, executive,
legislative branches, bar associations, civil society, and academia.
Supported by UNDP and EU. |
|
Legal Forum for Justice (الملتقى
القانوني للعدالة) |
Technical legal platform convened by MoJ and Venice
Commission to align draft judicial laws with international standards. Focused
on legislative reviews (e.g., Judicial Independence Law). |
|
Venice
Commission |
Technical/legal advisory body (Council of Europe) |
|
Coalition
for Judicial Independence |
CSO-led coalition advocating for legal, transparent, and
merit-based reform of the judiciary. Issues alerts and position papers to
track political interference. |
Legal
& Policy Framework
|
Instrument |
Status |
Key Provisions |
Implementation Note |
|
Draft
Law on Judicial Independence |
Approved by Cabinet (2 May 2025); pending referral to
Parliament |
Introduces merit-based appointments, election of HJC
members, limits on arbitrary transfers, and expanded judges' rights. |
Draft reviewed by Legal Forum (MoJ + Venice Commission).
Civil society urges further amendments on financial autonomy, appointment
neutrality, and disciplinary protections. |
|
Venice
Commission Recommendations |
Issued |
Provides benchmarks for judicial independence, appointment
procedures, structural autonomy, and disciplinary safeguards. |
Only one out of eight core recommendations fully
implemented in the current draft. Full alignment pending. |
|
Law on
Beirut Port Blast Investigation |
Not passed |
Would establish a special tribunal and legal protections
for investigating judges. |
Investigations continue to face obstruction due to
political immunities and legal loopholes. |
|
Cabinet
Decree (8 May 2025) appointing 10 Cassation presidents |
Enforced |
Reinstates quorum at the Court of Cassation by appointing
all 10 Presidents. |
Decree signed by President, Prime Minister, and Ministers
of Justice and Finance; unlocks progress on pending high-level cases. |
|
2024
Justice Forum Recommendations |
Endorsed |
Outlines a national reform roadmap including judicial
independence, expanded judicial representation, procedural justice, and
transparency. |
Not codified in law yet. Recommendations were developed
through multi-stakeholder working groups, including civil society, judiciary,
and donors. |
|
EU
Parliament Resolution (2023) |
Political support |
Demands accountability in the Beirut Port case, structural
independence of the judiciary, and international involvement. |
Continues to serve as diplomatic pressure for reform and
anti-impunity efforts. |
Official
Sources and Reference Materials
|
Instrument |
Source |
|
Ministerial Statement (25 Feb 2025) |
|
|
Amnesty Intl. Statement on Judicial Reform (Jan 2025) |
|
|
Human Rights Watch Letter to PM Salam (Jan 2025) |
|
|
Situation in Lebanon – European Parliament resolution of
12 July 2023 on the situation in Lebanon (2023/2742(RSP)) |
OJ C, C/2024/4000, 17.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4000/oj |
|
Compilation of Venice Commission Opinions and Reports
concerning Judges, 2025 |
Compilation
of Venice Commission Opinions and Reports concerning Judges, 2025; |
|
World Bank Lebanon - Systematic Country Diagnostic, Summer
2024 |
World Bank Lebanon - Systematic country
diagnostic, Summer 2024 |
List
of Acronyms – Justice Reform Tracker
|
Acronym |
Full Name |
|
HJC |
Higher Judicial Council |
|
MoJ |
Ministry of Justice |
|
HRW |
Human Rights Watch |
|
UNDP |
United Nations
Development Programme |
|
EU |
European Union |
|
IMF |
International Monetary Fund |
|
UN |
United Nations |
|
CAS |
Central Administration of Statistics |
|
3RF |
Reform, Recovery, and Reconstruction Framework |
|
OJ
C |
Official Journal of the European Union, Series C |
|
ELI |
European Legislation Identifier |
|
Amnesty |
Amnesty International |
|
NGO |
Non-Governmental Organization |
[1] All reform data presented
here is based on official Lebanese government sources, such as laws, decrees,
strategies, and verified public data. Where possible, each update is linked to
a document, gazette entry, or institutional publication.

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