The Guardian Council has deemed the parliament's bill to increase the powers of the Justice Minister as 'contrary to the Constitution' and has rejected it. Nejatollah Ebrahimiann, spokesperson for the Guardian Council, stated on Saturday, December 1, in an interview with the legal reporter of ISNA that the bill was returned to the parliament due to its constitutional discrepancies. Recently, the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran approved an urgent bill regarding the implementation of part of Article 160 of the Constitution, which addresses the responsibilities of the Justice Minister. According to ILNA news agency, out of 219 representatives present, 161 voted in favor of this article, 3 voted against, and 7 abstained, leading to its approval. The parliament representatives stipulated that the Justice Minister must cooperate with the parliament's investigations regarding issues related to the judiciary. Article 1 of this bill states that the Justice Minister will be selected from among legal experts proposed by the head of the judiciary to the President and will be introduced to the parliament for a vote of confidence. According to Article 2 of the bill, the Justice Minister is responsible for all matters related to the judiciary's relations with the executive and legislative branches. Ebrahimiann mentioned that the bill had several constitutional discrepancies, which led to its return to the parliament for rectification. However, he did not specify which parts of the bill were unconstitutional. Meanwhile, Hojjatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi, the Attorney General of the country, opposed the bill on November 22, stating that 'based on this bill, the Ministry of Justice, as the representative of the government, could be informed of all the details of cases, which will certainly have many repercussions in the future.' He did not explain what consequences the government's awareness of the judiciary's case details could have. He stated that the implementation of this bill would open the door for the government and the Ministry of Justice in all cases. This bill had previously faced opposition from the judiciary. Article 160 of the Constitution assigns the responsibility for all matters related to the judiciary's relations with the executive and legislative branches to the Justice Minister.
Guardian Council Rejects Bill to Increase Powers of Justice Minister
The Guardian Council rejected a parliamentary bill aimed at increasing the Justice Minister's powers due to constitutional concerns. The bill had previously received parliamentary approval but faced opposition from the judiciary and the Attorney General, who warned of potential repercussions from government access to judicial case details. This matter highlights ongoing tensions between Iran's legislative and judicial branches.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Guardian Council rejected a bill that aimed to increase the powers of the Justice Minister, citing constitutional discrepancies. This bill had previously gained parliamentary approval but faced significant opposition from the judiciary and the Attorney General.
- The bill was approved by 161 out of 219 parliamentary representatives.
- The Justice Minister's role was intended to include greater cooperation with parliament on judiciary matters.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's political system is defined by a complex relationship between elected officials and appointed bodies, such as the Guardian Council, which can override parliamentary decisions.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 90%