It seems that the courts are destined to remain closed, with files hanging in suspension; less than 48 hours after the judicial assistants ended their strike, believing they had achieved part of their demands when the government approved assistance for public sector employees, the discussion shifted to a potential strike by judges demanding improved salaries. The purchasing power of their salaries and allowances has eroded to the point where their pay barely covers their commute to work once or twice a week, particularly for those living far from their workplaces. Judges recall when they were informed that their salaries would be calculated at an exchange rate of 8,000 Lebanese pounds, but their joy was short-lived as the authorities quickly suspended this mechanism and disavowed the decision as if it never existed. Since then, they have been waiting for a resolution to their crisis, which has not materialized. They feel they have been "deceived by the authorities," which, instead of improving their salaries, raised the pay of all other public sector employees, while excluding them from bonuses. Due to a lack of trust in the authorities that "betrayed us," judges collectively reject the proposed solution of possibly disbursing a treasury advance of 35 billion Lebanese pounds, similar to what was given to professors and employees of the Lebanese University. They believe this advance would not last them more than a few months, and they have no confidence that the authorities will secure the funds for this advance, especially without a president in office, viewing it as "an attempt to silence us" and another deceptive tactic that will not succeed.
The promise of a treasury advance feels like "a step into the unknown that we will not take, especially since we have yet to receive our dues from the promised parliamentary elections, how can we invest when the opportunity is uncertain?" Judges look enviously at other employees, questioning, "How can judges who once enjoyed the highest salary scales in Lebanon find their pays today closer to those of category four employees?" Some openly declare they will not perform their duties on a salary calculated at the rate of 1,500 pounds, while the writers or assistants they rely on earn a higher salary at the exchange rate of 8,000 pounds.
Consequently, judges are discussing among themselves to reach a unified decision regarding escalation measures, starting from submitting unpaid leave requests and requests for resignation, to refusing to accept salaries and ultimately a complete judicial strike. Some have already ceased work since the day before yesterday, while others are waiting to see what the communications between the Minister of Justice, the Supreme Judicial Council, and the Prime Minister will yield, hoping to reach a solution.
Thus, discussions are ongoing in a dedicated "WhatsApp" group for judges, along with private conversations among some of them to define their options. They indicate that they will make their final decision to escalate or not next week after the payment of employees' salaries; "If salaries remain unchanged, we will be forced to make the bitter decision."
