Change of Saddam Trial Judge Under Fire

Husein al-Falluji, a member of parliament elected by the Iraqi National Accord, has said the replacement of the judge in Saddam Hussein’s “Anfal trial” is a breach of legal standards, and constitutes interference by the executive in judicial matters. According to Falluji, the judge cannot be removed while the court is in session, as this would affect the impartiality of the trial, and the board that oversees the judiciary will be impotent as long as the government is able to intervene in its work. The fact that the judge said Saddam was not a dictator did not reduce the authority of the court, he added.