The Kurdistan Region Judicial Council (KRJC) (Kurdish: ئەنجوومەنی دادوەریی کوردستان, romanized: Encûmena Dadwerîy Kurdistan; Arabic: مجلس قضاء اقليم كردستان) is the highest judicial authority and court of cassation[1] in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).[2] It has lower-level appellate courts throughout the KRI, including in Duhok, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Kirkuk, as well as the Garmiyan Administration.[3] It is part of the Supreme Judicial Council of Iraq.[4]
| Kurdish: ئەنجوومەنی دادوەریی کوردستان Arabic: مجلس قضاء اقليم كردستان Encûmena Dadwerîy Kurdistan | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1992 |
| Jurisdiction | Kurdistan Region |
| Headquarters | Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq |
Agency executive |
|
| Website | krjc.org |
History
editThe KJC was established in 1992 under Judicial Authority Law No. 14 passed by the Kurdistan Parliament, when the Kurdistan Region achieved de facto autonomy.[2]
During the Kurdish Civil War, the KJC functioned as the court for both the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) areas until 1998, when the PUK established its own Supreme Court in Sulaymaniyah. However, the judiciary was reunified in 2006.[5]
In 2009, the Kurdistan Parliament enacted Law No. 7 on Judicial Institutions, re-establishing the KJC and assigning it responsibility for selecting judges and prosecutors in the KRI. Since then, the judicial institution has operated with three levels of appeal. As of 2021, 148 judges and prosecutors had graduated from the institution, and 195 judges currently serve in the region's courts.[5]
Judicial independence
editUnder Law No. 23 of 2007, the KJC is intended to be administratively and financially independent from the executive branch. For example, its chief justice is to be selected by the judges, while the judges are to be appointed by the Kurdistan Parliament, in line with principles found in the Iraqi constitution.[6][7]
However, analysts and organizations such as the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy note that the judiciary faces significant challenges. Many provisions of Law No. 23 of 2007 have not been fully implemented, contributing to perceptions of politicization. Over time, the KDP and PUK have expanded their influence within the KJC, with judges reportedly appointed by the Prime Minister rather than the Kurdistan Parliament. The chief justice has also been appointed and sworn in by the Prime Minister, and many judges are considered to be affiliated with one of the two dominant parties.[6][7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ Rouhi, Ebad; Ahmed, Hawre; Hussein, Awara (2022). "Obstacles, Limitations and Challenges Hindering the Progress of the Judicial System in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq" (PDF). Kurdistan Center for International Law.
- 1 2 "Partners". Kurdistan Center for Internatinoal Law. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
The Judicial Council is the highest judicial authority in the KRI and is the third authority in addition to the legislative authority (parliament) and the executive authority (government) and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice of the KRI.
- ↑ "Nearly 20 female judges inaugurated in Kurdistan appellate courts". Kurdistan24. 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ↑ Act of Supreme Judicial Council No. (45) of 2017, Article 2, I
- 1 2 "Obstacles, Limitations and Challenges Hindering the Progress of the Judicial System in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq" (PDF). Kurdistan Center for International Law. 2022.
- 1 2 Chomani, Kamal (2019-01-11). "Judiciary in Kurdistan Region in Peril". The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy -. Retrieved 2026-03-22.
- 1 2 Khalid, Nijdar S. (2021). "The State of the Institutions of Economic Freedom in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq" (PDF). Economic Freedom of the World.