Iraq’s governing coalition is set to hold an emergency meeting on Saturday to address a growing dispute between the country’s top judicial authorities over the implementation of three contentious laws recently passed by parliament.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani called for the meeting of the ruling State Administration Coalition “to discuss the general situation in the country.” The dispute follows a decision by Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court on Tuesday to temporarily suspend the implementation of three laws concerning general amnesty, personal status, and the restitution of land confiscated under the former Baath regime to its original owners.

The Supreme Judicial Council criticized the court’s decision on Wednesday, calling it “premature and irrelevant,” arguing that a law “must be published in the Official Gazette before it can be constitutionally challenged.”

According to Ahmed al-Issawi, a lawmaker from the National Wisdom Movement led by Shiite cleric Ammar al-Hakim, the meeting will primarily focus on the general amnesty law, which was a key demand of Sunni political groups.

“All fronts agree on the passage of the general amnesty law, because if it were not for an agreement, the amendment would not have been passed in parliament,” Issawi stated on Saturday. However, he warned that “some parties want to manipulate this issue for election campaigning.”

The general amnesty law, pushed forward by Sunni lawmakers, amends the 2016 law’s definition of affiliation with terrorist organizations. Sunnis argue that thousands from their community have been unjustly imprisoned in Shiite-majority Iraq since 2003 over alleged terrorism links. This amendment was a key condition for Sunni blocs to join the ruling State Administration Coalition.

Issawi asserted that the law will take effect without legal hurdles, stating that “the Shiites will benefit too, not only the Sunnis.”

The passage of the three laws has been a source of contention since they were introduced in parliament last year. After months of political negotiations and disagreements, the laws were unexpectedly passed on January 21, sparking immediate judicial controversy.

With tensions mounting between Iraq’s judicial bodies and political factions, Saturday’s emergency meeting is expected to play a crucial role in determining the fate of these laws and the stability of the ruling coalition.