Speaker Faiq: We ask Kurdistan Bar Association to use your talents in service of society
The Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament Dr. Rewas Faiq on 31 October at the Sixth Conference of the Kurdistan Bar Association called on lawyers to support Kurdistan Parliament’s legislative work and help identify deficiencies in the laws. She also warned of recent attempts in Iraq to undermine the constitutional powers of Kurdistan’s institutions.
Speaker Faiq joined Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and the Head of the Kurdistan Bar Association (KBA), Mr. Bakhtiar Qazi, at the conference. The following is Dr. Faiq’s speech in full:
Your Excellency President of the Kurdistan Region, honorable President of the Judicial Council, Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished members of the conference, good morning.
On behalf of the Kurdistan Parliament I give my best wishes to lawyers and particularly to the conference members for a successful sixth conference of the Kurdistan Bar Association (KBA). It is an honour for me to attend the opening of your conference.
We hope that this conference will be a turning point in the development of the KBA’s work, that it will stabilize the KBA’s work and bring it into line with the work of syndicates, and thus will contribute to achieving full independence of the law, courts and jurists.
Ladies and gentlemen, the duties of the law and legal professionals are not limited to working in courts and advising and defending clients. Lawyers and those gathered under the umbrella of the KBA serve society through their knowledge and high standards, and they helped to protect our community during the crisis. That is why we expect you to fulfill your many responsibilities towards society, and to use your talents in the service of society. Especially now, when the Kurdistan Region is in a sensitive situation and our political and constitutional institutions are working to protect our Region from internal and regional threats that are proxies for internal and external parties. In that case, we would be obliged and forced to accept the threats, as we are well aware of the limits of our constitutional and political powers, provided that they do not permanently distance us from our national duties towards the other parts of Greater Kurdistan.
Dear participants,
You have felt all too easily the dangers and threats to the legitimate authority of our legitimate institutions that we face in Iraq. Although still unclear, the current threats are becoming real, legitimized, constitutional and legal, and are being implemented step by step. Recently the passage of some laws in the Iraqi Council of Representatives, such as the Financial Management Law and the Federal Court Law, and work on legislation such as the Federal Civil Service Bill and Oil and Gas Bill, are real violations of the constitutional agreements in force and agreed with other parties, and are an an attempt to remove many of the legitimate powers of the constitutional institutions in the Kurdistan Region, such as the Kurdistan Parliament and the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Reacting to pressure from demonstrators in central and southern Iraq, there are attempts by some political parties within the Iraqi Council of Representatives to form a committee to amend the 2005 Federal Constitution according to Article 142 and not Article 126. This is unclear, and we do not know the reasons behind these attempts. Therefore, it is vital that you, as members of the KBA, who are more aware than others about the aims of this committee, provide advice to the Kurdistani Members of the Iraqi Council of Representatives. We expect you to fulfill this task.
Finally, I must ask you to carefully review laws 17 and 18 of 1999, the amended Law on Lawyers and the Law on Retirement of Jurists, because this current conference is the best place to discuss them and to look into their shortcomings.
We in the Kurdistan Parliament expect you to be our partners and supporters in enriching Kurdistan Region’s legislation and in identifying deficiencies in the laws in force. Because you are aware of their deficiencies in their application, in their details, and you know what amendments are required. Because the Kurdistan Region, as well as needing a strong economy and democratic political institutions, also needs stronger a legislative institution and laws. Because this legislative institution still needs adequate support to reach the pinnacle of legislation and scrutiny. We need more work to achieve this, to improve the shortcomings in our legislation and to pass the best possible laws.
May God protect Kurdistan and our people, and help you in your work.
Dr. Rewas Faiq
Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament – Iraq
