Supreme Court resignations threaten November vote

Shafaq News/ Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections, set for November 11, 2025, are in jeopardy after mass resignations paralyzed the country’s highest court, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) warned on Friday.

Imad Jameel, IHEC’s media head, told Shafaq News that the Federal Supreme Court—the only body authorized to certify election results—cannot operate without a full bench, cautioning, “If these resignations are upheld, the legal basis for holding elections collapses.”

For now, Jameel confirmed that preparations are moving forward. Unless the resignations are officially accepted or reversed, the commission will continue to follow its operational timeline, supported by an approved budget and electoral law. “No postponement is currently under consideration.”

The crisis erupted on June 19, when six judges and three alternates resigned, effectively suspending the court’s operations. Judicial sources attributed the move to escalating tensions with the Supreme Judicial Council, fueled by disputes over the General Amnesty Law, the Khor Abdullah maritime pact with Kuwait, and a controversial Retirement Law.

The resigning judges also accused Chief Justice Faiq Zidan of yielding to political pressure, undermining the court’s independence despite public claims to the contrary.

Legal experts are calling this the most serious judicial crisis since the 2003 US-led invasion. Earlier today, Hazem al-Rudaini, deputy head of Iraq’s Strategic Center for Human Rights, warned that without the court, the election process could grind to a halt.

Still, IHEC reported that political party registrations are complete and voter databases are being updated.