The dangerous repercussions of the judiciary strike in Lebanon are beginning to weigh heavily on the ground. The complete paralysis has not only affected the courts and judicial departments but has also reflected on the performance of security agencies in all its details. A judicial source familiar with the matter revealed to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that "the cessation of public prosecution offices from receiving communications from the judicial police and issuing signals to them has disrupted their work, and may open the doors to chaos," noting that "the strike of public prosecutors has paralyzed the work of police stations and security bureaus."
Public prosecution offices form the fundamental pillar of judicial work in Lebanon, as they are the actual driving force behind the judicial police, overseeing its performance and outlining its work plan, especially concerning daily crimes. The judicial source stated: "There are serious matters that can only be resolved with the intervention of public prosecution offices. Since the judiciary strike commenced (on Wednesday morning), its negative repercussions began as public prosecutors in all governorates stopped receiving communications from the security agencies under the judicial police and providing the necessary signals and directives."
The concerned authorities fear the prolonged duration of the judicial boycott, which threatens to lead the judicial police down the same path should they perceive their efforts as futile and find no one to instruct them. The source revealed that "crimes occurred (in the hours following the strike announcement) resulting in fatalities, but unfortunately, there was no intervention from public prosecution to assign forensic doctors and criminal evidence experts to examine the bodies, nor to order the transportation of the bodies from the crime scene, with the same situation applying to traffic accidents that resulted in casualties, where there was no order to remove the bodies from the ground." Moreover, he pointed out that "the judicial police (security forces) cannot make decisions that are within the prosecutor's jurisdiction; otherwise, they expose themselves to accountability."
He warned that "remaining in this state drives the country towards the law of the jungle, where citizens take justice into their own hands, leading to chaos." In light of the near-total cessation of public prosecution activities, the Court of Cassation is attempting to fill some gaps by providing minimal guidance to advance certain serious cases. A source from the Court of Cassation told "Asharq Al-Awsat": "We are in solidarity with the judges because we are part of them, but we must address pressing files and issues, including issuing directives to the judicial police regarding murder cases, raiding drug dealers and traffickers, robbery and theft gangs, and others." He emphasized that the Court of Cassation "is concerned with alleviating the burden on people and preventing matters from descending into total chaos."
Lebanon has never reached a stage where judges have abandoned their mission, which they have dedicated themselves to. Despite the presence of several public prosecutors in their offices, they refrain from accepting and signing lawsuits, including those involving detainees. However, one public prosecutor, who declined to disclose his name, defended this abstention and told "Asharq Al-Awsat" that "judges are not only living through a financial and moral crisis but also a psychological one." He noted: "Most judges have become psychologically shattered in front of their families and children, and have become a burden to them after having been a source of pride for their families and offspring. It is not enough what we are going through; we are also subjected daily to campaigns via media and social networks that hold us responsible for the crisis and protect the corrupt, and this is the peak of injustice and targeting."
The discontented prosecutor, referring to the situation reached by him and his colleagues, stated that "judges are not on strike but are under forced suspension from work." He asked: "Do political leaders know that judges have not received their salaries for last month yet? Unfortunately, this salary, which is less than 200 US dollars, is insufficient to pay the electricity bill."
Ironically, despite the severity and protraction of this crisis, none of the political leaders have taken action to resolve it. A source from the Ministry of Justice announced that Justice Minister Henry Khoury is monitoring the developments of the judges' crisis on an hour-by-hour basis, explaining to "Asharq Al-Awsat" that the minister "met with a delegation of judges for an hour and a half, informing them that he understands their outcry and experiences their pain as he is a judge first and a minister of justice second," emphasizing that the minister "is exploring several temporary solutions, starting with a decree to provide a cash advance to the judges' solidarity fund, and he will intensify his communications with all officials to expedite meeting the judges' demands, even to the minimum extent."
