Palestinian lawyers intensify their protests against Abbas

 Palestinian attorneys are steadfast in their opposition to legislation that "curbs rights and freedoms" and was enacted by presidential decree.

A month after protests against President Mahmoud Abbas's acceptance of numerous "decisions by law" were started, the lawyers' confrontation with the Palestinian Authority intensified.

These are allegedly illegal and ignore citizens' rights while strengthening the president's office's control. The Palestinian Bar Association has intensified the strikes, sit-ins, and other protests that have shut down the courts.

The lawyers' demands have not yet received a response from the Palestinian Authority. Arab News was informed by high-ranking sources at the bar association that the protests would intensify.

The controversy has brought the Palestinian Authority to the attention of international organizations and donor nations.

Many people have expressed their dissatisfaction with the executive authority's failure to heed the lawyers' requests not to interfere with the judicial process.

According to Majed Al-Arouri, director of the Civil Commission for the Independence of Judiciary and Rule of Law, there has been significant opposition to recent legal decisions, particularly judicial laws that jeopardize human rights and guarantees of a fair trial.

"Decisions by legislation seek to advance the interests of certain people within the governing order or to mediate the governing order in the absence of parliament. These rulings have an impact on the general interests of the populace, including lawyers, according to Al-Arouri.

The bar association's demands are reasonable, he added, adding that it won't take the presidency more than five minutes to decide on them and start a discussion.

Al-Arouri claimed that the bar association had to take to the streets and use fresh forms of protest, such as marching on the president's and government's offices, as a result of the PA's obstinacy.

In the meantime, a senior PA official told Arab News that Issa Abu Sharar, the president of the Supreme Judicial Council, had not informed Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh or PA Minister of Justice Mohammed Al-Shalaldeh of the disputed legal rulings.

According to the official, Abbas received the decisions from Ali Muhanna, the president's advisor for legal affairs, and issued them as "decrees."

According to the senior PA official, lawyers have every right to object to judgments that compromise the credibility and integrity of the legal system.

The Supreme Judicial Council and the president's adviser, who wrote the judgments, rather than the Palestinian presidency, are at fault, according to Suhail Ashour, leader of the Palestinian Bar Association, who confirmed this to Arab News.

Up to 400 decrees have been issued and put into force by Abbas' office, the Palestinian president's method for passing laws without a parliament to do so.

"Nearly a month has gone since the beginning of our lawyer protests, yet the Supreme Judicial Council president and the president's legal advisor ignored our demands. Ashour stated, "We are continuing our protest efforts.

He informed Arab News that the bar association will meet on Sunday to talk about removing lawyers from the register because they can no longer fulfill their required duties.

Along with 3,000 students and 500 retired lawyers, the West Bank is home to around 7,000 active attorneys.