The Lebanese Ministry of Justice announced the operational mechanism for judicial circles during the total lockdown due to the spread of the Corona pandemic.
A joint circular issued today, Wednesday, by the Minister of Justice in the caretaker government, Marie Claude Najm, and the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, confirmed the suspension of sessions and administrative work in all courts and judicial circles, along with the total lockdown starting Thursday, January 14, 2021, until Monday morning, January 25, 2021.
The circular exempted some cases that must be addressed, which fall into three categories: decisions regarding detainees based on requests from public prosecutor offices, handling requests for the release of detained individuals at all criminal judicial authorities, in accordance with the circulars issued in this regard by the Supreme Judicial Council and the Cassation Public Prosecutor.
The circular also exempted urgent and emergency cases before civil judicial authorities only in situations of extreme necessity, following the mechanism established according to the related circular concerning orders on petitions, receiving appeals, and files associated with specific deadlines under penalty of dismissal.
Administrative work in the offices necessary to enforce the above two points is also included in the exemption, according to lists prepared by the first appeal presidents, who will also issue the necessary decisions to organize the limited attendance required for this purpose and its timing.
The Council of Ministers had circulated details of the decision for a complete lockdown to combat Corona, which starts on Thursday and continues until February 1, and included new measures related to the working hours of institutions with exemptions for some sectors.
