New Iraqi federal court members take oath

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — New members of Iraq’s federal court took the constitutional oath before the Iraqi President Barham Salih on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Judicial Council.

The ceremony took place at the presidential palace in Baghdad, in the presence of Supreme Judicial Council president Judge Faik Zaidan.

"Completing the formation of the Federal Court represents an important and essential step towards completing the legal and constitutional requirements for holding early elections, which represent a national and popular entitlement that Iraqis aspire to," President Salih said at the swearing-in ceremony.

Iraq had initially planned to hold early elections on June 6, but the country’s council of ministers decided in January to postpone the elections to October 10.

The Iraqi federal court is the highest judicial authority in the country. It is responsible for adjudicating disputes in federal cases, receiving objections and appeals to decisions issued by the three presidencies (president, prime minister, and parliament speaker), and ratifying election results.

On March 18, the Iraqi parliament passed an amendment to the 2005 Federal Court Act to add four Islamic jurists from the Sunni and Shiite sects to the court, granting them veto power and the ability to review, approve, and reject new laws.

The court has not met since mid-2020, as it has not been able to meet quorum.