Statement from the Judicial Council of the Kurdistan Region - Iraq

The actions of the Kurdistan Regional Government - Iraq with regard to the oil dossier and oil operations are consistent with the Iraqi constitution of 2005 and that the provisions of the Oil and Gas Law No. 22 (of 2007) issued by the Kurdistan Regional Parliament do not violate the provisions of the Iraqi constitution. It is necessary to continue working with its provisions as oil and gas dossier is not within the exclusive powers of the federal authorities stipulated in Article (110). And given that Article (112) of the Iraqi Constitution states that (the Federal Government shall manage the oil and gas extracted from the current fields with the governments of the producing regions and governorates, provided that their revenues are distributed in an equitable manner in proportion to the population distribution all over the country, with defining a quota for a specific period for the affected regions, which were unfairly deprived of it by the previous regime, and which were subsequently damaged in a manner that ensures balanced development for the different regions of the country, and this is regulated by law). This requires that the oil fields that were established in the Kurdistan Region after (2005) fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Region, as this text mentioned the current fields, that is, those existing before (2005), (and since the oil fields It was established in the region after (2005), therefore it falls within the competences of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Based on this, the provisions of the Oil and Gas Law of the Kurdistan Region - Iraq No. 22 (of 2007) are consistent with the provisions of the Iraqi constitution and do not contradict them.

 

    The judge

   Abdul-Jabbar Aziz Hassan

Chairman of the Judicial Council of the Kurdistan Region - Iraq