At a Glance

• The Iraqi Bar Association barred permanent residents of the Kurdistan Region from joining its ranks.
• The restriction limits affiliation exclusively to the Kurdistan Region Bar Association based on official residence.
• The measure aims to prevent administrative and professional overlap between Erbil and Baghdad.

The Council of the Iraqi Bar Association has officially barred permanent residents of the Kurdistan Region from joining its ranks, restricting their membership exclusively to the Kurdistan Region Bar Association based on their officially registered permanent residence.

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Key Statement and Focus Area

• The Iraqi Bar Association said the association’s Council “has decided to prohibit the acceptance of membership applications from individuals actively and permanently residing within the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.”
• The association stressed that the decision “aligns with the agreement concluded between both parties.”

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The Bar Association announced it has banned membership applications from residents of Duhok, Erbil, Slemani, and Halabja, restricting their affiliation exclusively to the Kurdistan Region Bar Association based on their officially registered permanent residence.

The decision follows an official directive from the Kurdistan Region Bar Association (No. 4460, dated August 19, 2026) and is in line with a bilateral agreement concluded between both parties.

The Council emphasized that official residency cards are the sole accepted proof of permanent residence, explicitly rejecting housing letters issued by local community chiefs (Mukhtars) to prevent any circumvention of membership regulations.

The decision is grounded in the provisions of Iraqi Legal Profession Law No. 173 of 1965 and the Council's authorities under Article 87. It also draws upon Articles 4 and 6 of Kurdistan Region Legal Profession Law No. 17 of 1999, utilizing the principle of reciprocity and a standing memorandum of understanding between the two bar associations.

FYI

The decision follows an official letter sent from the Kurdistan Bar Association to Baghdad on August 19, requesting a ban on the membership of Kurdistan Region lawyers in the Iraqi Bar Association. 

The move aims to ensure that every lawyer remains affiliated with the association within their respective place of residence, preventing administrative and professional overlap between Erbil and Baghdad.

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