Federal Supreme Court to Hear Lawsuits Over Delayed Salaries in Kurdistan Region

Iraq 10:57 AM - 2025-07-10

Federal Supreme Court Building.

The Federal Supreme Court of Iraq is due to convene a session to consider two legal cases brought by a number of public sector employees from the Kurdistan Region, following the suspension of their salaries by the federal government.

The Court has scheduled the hearing for 14 July 2025, to examine a lawsuit filed against the Federal Prime Minister and the Federal Minister of Finance (in her official capacity). The claim calls for a ruling to ensure that the salaries of public employees in the Kurdistan Region are protected from political disputes and contingent agreements.

A second lawsuit will also be reviewed, targeting the Federal Minister of Finance over the Ministry’s obligation to continue issuing salaries to Kurdistan Region employees on a monthly and timely basis—regardless of any disagreements between the federal and regional governments concerning the interpretation of the federal budget law or any other issues.

The plaintiffs are additionally seeking an urgent court order compelling the Ministry of Finance to immediately disburse salaries to civil servants, retirees, families of martyrs, and social welfare recipients in the Region, starting this month, pending a final ruling on the case.

Lawsuit Filed at the Federal Supreme Court

The Federal Supreme Court recently received a formal lawsuit regarding the continued payment of public sector salaries in the Kurdistan Region.

In a statement, the Court confirmed it had received a case filed by a group of employees from the Region, demanding regular salary disbursements on the scheduled dates, in line with the Court’s Decision No. 224 and the consolidated ruling No. 269/Federal/2023, issued on 21 February 2024.

The statement noted that the plaintiffs requested the issuance of a judicial order obligating the Ministry of Finance to comply with the above-mentioned ruling. That decision mandates both the Federal Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government to process and Nationalise the salaries of all employees across ministries, governorates, and non-ministerial entities, including retirees and social protection beneficiaries, through federal banks operating outside the Region. These payments are to be deducted from the Kurdistan Region’s designated share of the federal budget.

The lawsuit has been formally registered with the Court under case number 104/Federal/2025, and the legal fees have been settled. The Court indicated that it will issue a ruling on the request for interim judicial orders as soon as possible.



PUKMEDIA