The Owners Syndicate rejected any attempt to interfere in the work of the judiciary or influence the course of rulings issued in the rental law file, warning against turning the media into a platform for pressure on judges or public opinion in a file it described as delicate and sensitive, as it affects the rights of owners and tenants alike.
In a statement, the union indicated that it followed what was issued in the media by a number of lawyers who met with the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, and made positions and comments that addressed the judicial rulings issued in the rental law file.
The Syndicate, out of concern for the independence of the judiciary and preserving the prestige of the judiciary, affirmed its absolute rejection of any attempt to interfere in the work of the judiciary, influence the course of rulings, or comment on them in a way that suggests the presence of moral or media pressure on judges.
She believed that if any party has the right to resort to available legal means in defense of its point of view, then what it categorically rejects is turning the media into a platform for pressure on the judiciary, or suggesting that judicial rulings should be subject to special interests or organized campaigns aimed at influencing judges and public opinion together.
The union considered that the seriousness of this behavior increases when it is issued by lawyers who have direct, personal, and special interests in this file, whether through their representation of specific groups or their involvement in existing disputes related to the rental law.
She pointed out that these people do not speak from a position of neutrality or concern for abstract justice, but rather from a position of private interest, which makes their media interference in judicial affairs unacceptable and condemnable, especially when it comes after meetings with senior judicial authorities, in what may be understood as an attempt to influence or exert indirect pressure on the judiciary.
The Owners Syndicate stressed that it has always resorted to the law and the judiciary, and refuses to undermine the independence of the judiciary or push it into the bazaar of media positions and conflicting interests.
It also rejected any speech that might question the rulings, incite judges, or put pressure on those concerned with this file, including owners and tenants, instead of letting the judiciary have its say in accordance with the law and principles.
The union called on all concerned, especially lawyers and owners of files related to the rental law, to respect judicial principles and refrain from any positions, movements or media campaigns that would influence the judiciary or disturb the proper conduct of justice.
She concluded by affirming her full confidence in the integrity and ethics of the Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Suhail Abboud, and in his unwavering keenness to preserve the independence of the judiciary and protect it from any influence or pressure. She also renewed her confidence in the Lebanese judiciary and in its ability to approach this file in accordance with the law and justice, far from any considerations or special interests.
The position of the Owners Syndicate comes in light of the continuing debate over the rental law, which is one of the most sensitive social and legal files in Lebanon, given its direct connection to property rights on the one hand, and the conditions of tenants on the other hand, amid the complexity of judicial disputes and the multiplicity of jurisprudence and positions among the parties concerned.
