Joint parliamentary committees have approved a draft law submitted by Kataeb Party leader MP Samy Gemayel to suspend legal, judicial and contractual deadlines from the onset of the war, and referred it to the plenary session for debate at the next available legislative sitting.

Under the draft legislation, all judicial deadlines before Lebanese courts would be suspended, alongside administrative, civil and commercial time limits. It also extends to deadlines governing the convening of general assemblies for unions, associations, cooperatives and companies. Certain exceptions are explicitly outlined, and suspended deadlines would resume immediately once the Council of Ministers declares the force majeure period over.

Key provisions of the draft law

The text provides for a broad suspension of legal time limits across multiple sectors. It stipulates that all legal, contractual and judicial deadlines—whether procedural, administrative or substantive—would be automatically frozen starting March 1, 2026, until the extraordinary circumstances cease. This includes deadlines in civil, administrative and commercial cases, as well as those related to general assemblies and boards of directors across all corporate entities.

In criminal matters, the suspension also applies to deadlines for personal claimants, defendants and convicts to submit motions, appeals or challenges to final rulings. The provision extends to civilly liable parties and guarantors in cases subject to appeal.

However, the draft law sets out several exemptions. These include deadlines subject to judicial discretion, administrative deadlines where authorities retain the power to suspend or adjust timelines, statutes of limitation and criminal release deadlines—though personal rights-related deadlines remain suspended. It also excludes family law matters such as alimony and custody, as well as deadlines set under lease legislation.

The proposal further stipulates that unions, cooperatives, associations and companies must continue their operations and retain their current leadership boards, with all legal acts carried out during the period remaining valid under existing law.

It also allows contractual parties to explicitly and irrevocably waive the suspension provisions in their agreements.

Finally, the draft law provides for the possibility of retrial in cases where final judgments were issued without taking the suspension into account. If enacted, it would take immediate effect upon publication in the Official Gazette.