Palestinian Bar Association and Judges Club Discuss Mechanisms to Protect Judicial Independence
Ramallah – The Head of the Palestinian Bar Association, Attorney Jawad Obeidat, along with members of the Bar Council, yesterday received Counselor Abdulkarim Hanoun, President of the Judges Club, and members of its board at the Bar's headquarters in Ramallah. The meeting focused on recent developments in the judicial arena and mechanisms to enhance cooperation between the Bar and the Club in safeguarding judicial independence—a supreme national interest shared by all pillars of justice.
Attendees emphasized the strong partnership and mutual respect between the bench and the bar, united in their goal to establish a state of institutions and the rule of law. They affirmed the inseparable bond between protecting judicial independence, upholding the judiciary’s dignity, and preserving lawyers' rights—all essential to strengthening the roles of the judicial authority and the Bar Association in defending the achievements of the Palestinian people and the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Palestinian Basic Law and international conventions ratified by the State of Palestine.
The meeting reiterated the Bar Association’s and Judges Club’s previously stated positions:
1-Ending the transitional phase in the judiciary and immediately restoring the normal Supreme Judicial Council—consistent with comparative judicial systems—formed under the Judicial Authority Law No. 1 of 2002.
2-Rejecting any amendments to this law and insisting that changes to other judiciary-related laws undergo broad societal dialogue involving all stakeholders, given that the judiciary is a public institution and a collective right not monopolized by any single entity.
Participants called for an expanded meeting with neutral civil society organizations to assess the Transitional Supreme Judicial Council’s performance and its actions in light of the principles of rule of law, judicial independence, and judges’ guarantees—all matters of public interest. The goal is to develop joint recommendations for H.E. the President of the State of Palestine and relevant institutions, aimed at:
Strengthening separation of powers,
Safeguarding constitutional values, and
Reinforcing the Palestinian judicial system as an independent constitutional authority.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to exchange visits and maintain periodic consultations to coordinate efforts in protecting the achievements of the Palestinian people and their constitutional authorities—for which Palestinians have made immense sacrifices—and to implement the vision outlined in the Bar Association’s and Judges Club’s statements on judicial affairs.