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Conflict Incident Report
Lawyers protest countrywide justice palace power cuts
More than a dozen lawyers demonstrated in front of Beirut’s Justice Palace Friday to protest frequent power cuts at justice palaces across the country, seemingly due to lack of maintenance, the state-run National News Agency reported.
The lawyers held up signs urging caretaker Justice Minister Salim Jreissati to take action on the chronic electricity shortage at the centers of Lebanese legal practice. The lawyers lit candles during the protest, as many have reportedly been doing inside their offices during power cuts.
Lawyer Ali Barji sent a letter to Jreissati in which he called on the minister to push for maintenance and renovation works to be carried out at justice palaces, the NNA reported.
In the letter, Barji also alleged that the “miserable situation” was being facilitated by corrupt maintenance companies.
The letter called on Jreissati to exercise his authority in order to tackle the issues, while warning of an escalation by lawyers, including the possibility of holding an open-ended strike.