BEIRUT: Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar asked to remove from the Cabinet’s agenda on Tuesday a draft law allowing the pre-trial detention of journalists. The draft law, revoked late Monday, was adopted 10 years ago, but was not referred to Parliament for approval, Al-Liwaa newspaper reported Tuesday.
The daily added that the Cabinet’s secretariat had revoked a draft law on journalists’ pre-trial detention during Cabinet’s Tuesday session after it became clear that it allows the precautionary detention of journalists or non-journalists
Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said Tuesday he was behind the decision to remove the draft law from the Cabinet’s agenda.
He told Voice of Lebanon radio station that his decision was aimed at “giving [the legislature] more time to review the draft law.”
Meanwhile, the Higher Judicial Council held a meeting Tuesday headed by Judge Ghaleb Ghanem. It focused on procedures to be adopted to fill the vacant position of retired First Military Investigative Judge Rachid Mezher.
Last week, Minister Najjar stressed the need to rectify flaws in the judiciary and restore its role given the body’s key prerogatives.
Najjar spoke during a meeting with Ghanem, the Justice Ministry General Director Judge Omar Natour, head of Shura Council Judge Shukri Sader and other magistrates.
In November, the judiciary’s Higher Disciplinary Committee sacked for disciplinary reasons Magistrate Tanios Ghantous. He was sentenced by the committee and was denied indemnities and retirement pensions.
Najjar had said that the measure was the first of a long-term reform plan inside the judiciary and mentioned that 18 similar cases were currently being looked into by the Higher Disciplinary Committee and that decisions in the cases should be reached soon.
Media reports said Ghantous was sacked on charges of bribery, adding that he pocketed $200,000 in a drug case. – The Daily Star
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