The new ‘President’ leaves his mark on his Judiciary post before leaving it

International Liberty Association: The notorious new ‘President’ of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi – infamous for his role in the ‘Death Commission’ who ordered the killing of thousands of prisoners in the summer of 1988 – left a damning mark on his post as Chief of Judiciary before leaving it. The new ILA: bylaws for the Legal Bill has been condemned as an affront to independence of the lawyers in their profession. The National Union of Iranian Bar Associations, reacted by releasing a statement regarding the adoption of the bylaws for the Legal Bill of Independence of the Bar Association. Opposing the adoption of the bylaws, the Union has called it inconsistent with the independence of Bar Associations and violates citizens’ right to defence. One of the most important articles of this new proposed regulation is the right to issue a license to practice law, which has been stripped from the Bar Association and delegated to the judiciary. Last week, Ebrahim Raisi, who still headed the judiciary, announced the new bylaws for the Independence Bill of the Bar Association. This regulation, which is faced with serious opposition from Bar Associations in Iran, has 164 articles. The General Board of the National Union of Iranian Bar Associations expressed its unequivocal opposition to the bylaws which “violates the independence of the Bar Associations”.