Judge Faiq Zidan speaking at the Middle East Peace and Security Forum in Duhok
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq has enacted an expansive administrative overhaul across the federal judiciary following a series of executive decrees issued on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Authorized by the President of the Council, Judge Faiq Zidan, these fundamental structural realignments include high-level reassignments, the rotation of key leadership benches, and the deployment of twelve senior judges to the federal appellate court.
Legal observers consider this judicial restructuring to be one of the most comprehensive institutional reorganizations in recent years, explicitly designed to maximize institutional efficiency, optimize administrative oversight, and enhance institutional performance across provincial jurisdictions.
According to official court documentation obtained by IraqiNews.com , Judge Zidan authorized the immediate assignment of twelve prominent judges to serve as temporary delegates within the Federal Court of Cassation under the explicit statutory provisions of the Judicial Organization Law.
Simultaneously, the Supreme Judicial Council formalized a crucial executive change within the national prosecution apparatus by assigning Judge Adel Khudhair Abbas to officially assume the responsibilities of Chief of Public Prosecution. Prior to this landmark appointment, Judge Abbas served as a leading member of the Judicial Oversight Commission, bringing extensive institutional evaluation experience to the state’s highest prosecutorial office.
The judicial decrees also introduced targeted structural changes within the provincial court leadership of Babylon, Saladin, and Anbar provinces, replacing several outgoing officials with experienced appellate jurists to lead regional judicial headquarters. Under these new directives, the Deputy President of the Babylon Appeals Court, Hamid Mahdi Thomas, has been elevated to officially run the Babylon Appeals Court.
In a parallel move, the Deputy President of the Saladin Appeals Court, Walid Ahmed Kurdi, was advanced to manage the Saladin Appeals Court. Finally, the Deputy President of the Anbar Appeals Court, Ali Daij Jariyan, received a direct assignment to take full operational control of the Anbar Appeals Court, concluding a highly strategic institutional rotation within Iraq’s judicial hierarchy.