Following the judicial fiasco that erupted in the past 2 days over the storming of an exchange office ordered by Judge Ghada Aoun amidst the objection of Judge Ghassan Oweidat and the Supreme Judicial council, the head of the Bar Association, Melhem Khalaf called for a “Push to remove the judicial, political, security apparatus to restore the state.”
In a statement issued today, Sunday, he said: “What do I tell people today? The scene is astonishingly catastrophic. What should the citizen understand from the bitter reality that surrounds him? Who is the authority responsible for pitting victims against each other to a point causing an absurd confrontation between judges themselves!? The scene is miserably unfortunate! Is the right to fight corruption not necessary? Or is the recovery of the people’s money not warranted ? Is the right to realize people’s rights and uphold justice not the essence of the nation state? What is this deviant methodology imposing itself? For every fight there is another one, for every demonstration is an opposing one, for every street and antagonistic one, and for every complaint an opposite one! In the end, no solutions are reached, and no rights are claimed. Instead, crooked settlements at the expense of the people are arrived at. No wonder it is that political interests corrupt everything, and politics destroys everything while surrealism engulfs all of it.”
He continued: “Today we are only witnessing lost wars, as whoever wins end up losing just as much as the loser himself. The temple has collapsed; falling on those we were counting on it for redemption and salvation. The final stronghold is decaying in unprecedented fashion! How sorrowful that these duels between one authority and another, one sect and another, and one interest and another are being manifested inside the judiciary! All at the expense of the citizen, his comfort, his rights, and his safety; as well as that of his children and their futures.”
He asked: “Where is the Supreme Judicial Council? Is their neutrality and abstention from carrying out their duties saving the judiciary? Where is the Judicial Inspection? Is their absence playing a role in enhancing the judiciary? Is not yet time for the judicial, political, security apparatus with all their operatives, facets, and employers to leave the judiciary to the honest, honorable, and courageous judges? Today, there is no longer any value in any of the warring positions, nor political views or any imaginary heroism.”
Khalaf concluded: “Today, lamenting over the ruins is of no longer any use, and the Bar Association will not cry the extinguishing of the torch of justice in Lebanon. Our lawyers are aware of the reasons for these crises, and they want to resolve their roots not symptoms. They are certain that the rule of law is at the basis of our ethos… Not infighting and score settling. And that securing people’s rights is a duty and not a favor. What is happening against the Lebanese people is the height of injustice, and we will not be silent before the assassination of justice, nor will we be false witnesses! This is why, I call on my colleagues and fellow lawyers, more than ever, to adhere to their values, morals, and oaths. To rally around their union in fulfilling its leading role of taking the correct decisions and stances of accountability to save the law, the people, and country! Let us work to root out the judicial-political-security apparatus and reclaim our nation.”
