Feminization of the Judiciary in Lebanon

This short piece examines the presence of women in the judiciary of a small Arab state, once defined as a liberal polity, but increasingly becoming more authoritarian, namely Lebanon. Surprisingly, Lebanon’s judiciary has become quite feminized, especially after the end of the civil war in 1990. However, the mounting authoritarianism in the country has meant that the tension between a feminized—and sometimes feminist-judiciary and a conservative patriarchal state has become high. It has led to occasional novel or feminist interpretations of the law especially when it comes to gender or LGBTQ+ issues. Indeed, the increasing presence of women in the judiciary has disrupted and slowed down the sectarian regime’s (Mikdashi, 2022) attempts to control the courts.

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