Lebanon’s Parliament on Thursday postponed a vote on a key judicial reform bill until its evening legislative session, following a proposal by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to allow more time for deliberation and to reconcile differences between the government's draft and the version submitted by the parliamentary Administration and Justice Committee.

The delay came after a debate erupted in the chamber over whether Justice Minister Adel Nassar had the authority to introduce changes to the bill after it had been finalized by the committee. The disagreement led lawmakers to defer the vote until after 5:30 p.m., in a bid to avoid rushed legislation on a law considered critical for safeguarding judicial independence.

Kataeb MP Elias Hankach voiced strong concerns over fast-tracking the legislation.

“A law of this magnitude cannot be rushed,” he said during the session. “With all due respect to the committee’s efforts, it is clear that the Justice Minister has raised concerns that we cannot simply dismiss.”

Hankach also warned against turning the bill’s parliamentary review into a chaotic and time-consuming process.

“We cannot pass a law on judicial independence that still requires amendments. Nor can we debate 168 articles here on the floor, as that would create disorder and waste time,” he added. “It is our duty to return to the discussion and get it right.”