In a notable move, President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, submitted two appeals before the Constitutional Council. The first concerns Law No. 1, which came into force by default and relates to the rental of non-residential spaces. The second concerns Law No. 2, also effective by default, aimed at amending certain provisions regulating the teaching body in private schools and the management of school budgets. Both laws were published in the Official Gazette on April 3, 2025.
The non-residential rental law and the law regarding the teachers’ compensation fund followed a long legal and political journey, especially after former Prime Minister Najib Mikati refrained from publishing them in the Official Gazette. The matter reached the State Council before the current Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, eventually ordered their publication.
According to a statement from the Presidency, the two appeals aim to clarify certain provisions within each law to facilitate their implementation for the benefit of all stakeholders. In a further development, the President also sent a letter to the Prime Minister’s office calling for the activation of the old residential rent law to preserve the rights of all concerned parties.
In this context, Patrick Rizkallah, head of the Property Owners Syndicate, considered this step “a constitutional right of the President of the Republic, contrary to the situation of the past forty years, which violated many constitutional provisions — whether in terms of disregarding property rights, inequality between owners and tenants, or social justice.” He added that the syndicate is awaiting the content of the appeal before giving a final opinion, noting that “the head of the Administration and Justice Committee and other MPs are working to ensure the proper implementation of the new law.” He concluded, “We have full confidence in MP Adwan and also in the President and members of the Constitutional Council.”
Meanwhile, 12 MPs submitted a separate appeal before the Constitutional Council, contesting the constitutionality of Law No. 1/2025 on non-residential rents. The case was registered as No. 6/2025. Sources familiar with the matter said the appeal aims particularly to highlight what they described as "numerous constitutional violations", including the conditions under which the law was passed, the circumstances of its issuance, its publication, and its content.
Regarding the laws related to the organization of the teaching body in private schools and the management of school budgets, the Teachers' Syndicate stated that President Joseph Aoun also has the constitutional right to submit an appeal against the law funding the teachers’ compensation fund — a law that Prime Minister Nawaf Salam commendably published in accordance with the Constitution. The syndicate said the law "restores rights that have been denied to private school teachers for six years and reinstates the value of their severance and retirement benefits after 40 years of service in education."
The statement further emphasized that a consensus had been reached with the Union of Private Educational Institutions during a meeting of the Parliamentary Education Committee, chaired by Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and attended by MPs from all political blocs. The agreement was reached on certain aspects of the law, which will be submitted in an urgent draft law to be approved at the next legislative session. The syndicate believes this agreement addresses the concerns raised by the President.
The statement concluded: “Regardless of the President’s appeal, we affirm our commitment to the agreement with the Union of Private Educational Institutions while expressing our appreciation and respect for the President and his constitutional rights. We are confident that he is deeply committed to protecting the rights of teachers, especially their severance and retirement benefits.”
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