Malik Dohan al-Hassan

Malik Dohan al-Hassan
Council of Representatives of Iraq
Minister of Culture and Information
In office 1967–1968
Succeeded by	Salah Omar Al-Ali
Minister of Justice
In office June 2004 – May 2005
Preceded by	Hashim Abdul-Rahman al-Shibli
Succeeded by	Abdel Hussein Shandal
Personal details
Born	1920 (age 90–91)
Alma mater	LLB - University of Baghdad in 1947 Diploma in Public and Private Law - Montpellier University in 1951 Doctorate in Law - University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne in 1957
Religion	Sunni

Dr Malik Dohan al-Hassan (born 1920), is an Iraqi politician who was the Minister of Justice in the Iraqi Interim Government from June 2004 to May 2005.

Early life

Dr al-Hassan was born in al-Hilla in 1920 to a Sunni Arab family. He graduated from the University of Baghdad in 1947. After graduation Dr Malik Dohan Al Hassan became an investigating judge in 1947.^[1] He continued his studies in France where he received a Diploma in Public and Private Law from Montpellier University and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne. He then became a Professor of Law at the University of Baghdad. He was elected President of the Al-Mustansiriya University in 1966.

Pre-Saddam government

He was twice elected to the Council of Representatives of Iraq under the monarchy. He was appointed the Minister of Culture and Information in 1967 by President Abdul Rahman Arif.^[2] He was imprisoned under Saddam Hussein.^[3]

Post-Saddam

In 2003 he was elected to head the Iraqi Bar Association. He was appointed to a task force looking at compensation for the victims of the Saddam Hussein government. In June 2004 he was appointed the Minister of Justice in the Iraqi Interim Government.^[3] As Minister, he was targeted by a car bomb in July 2004 that killed six people, including his nephew.^[4] Responsibility was claimed by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, head of al-Qaeda in Iraq.^[5] He defended the use of the death penalty against former President Saddam Hussein, saying "...we have the right and even the obligation to use the tools that we see useful".^[6]

In August 2004 he threatened to resign unless a judge who had indicted Ahmad Chalabi for murder and money laundering was removed.^[7]

2005 Iraqi elections

He had initially called for the Iraqi legislative election of January 2005 to be postponed as they could "...trigger civil war".^[8] He nonetheless took part with the National Democratic Coalition, who only received 9,747 votes. Even though he did not get elected, he remains a vocal figure in foreign media and is often asked for his opinion. In February 2007, he criticised the proposed Oil and Gas Law as being too vague.^[9]

References

1. ^ "Dr Malik Dohan Al Hassan- Founding Partner, Baghdad". Al-Dohan & Associates Law Firm. 2009. http://www.dohanlawfirm.com/malik.htm. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
2. ^ "Announcement Ceremony Press Packet" (PDF). Coalition Provisional Authority. June 30, 2004. http://www.cpa-iraq.org/government/press_packet.pdf. Retrieved August 23, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ ^{a b} "Main players in the new Iraqi government". The Independent. June 29, 2004. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/main-players-in-the-new-iraqi-government-733906.html. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
4. ^ Six die in blast targeted at Iraqi minister, The Independent, 2004-07-18
5. ^ Iraqi justice minister escapes car bomb, China Daily, 2004-07-18
6. ^ Saddam to be executed if convicted: Justice Minister, People's Daily, 2004-07-02
7. ^ Juan Cole (August 11, 2004). "Iraq National Congress Office Closed". Informed Comment. http://www.juancole.com/2004/08/iraq-national-congress-office-closed.html. Retrieved August 23, 2009. 
8. ^ Iraqi Elections (I): The Imperatives of Elections on Schedule, MEMRI, 2004-12-15
9. ^ Iraq Oil Technocrats: Time Not Suitable For Oil Law, Global Policy Forum, 2007-02-17

Political offices
Preceded by Hashim Abdul-Rahman al-Shibli	Justice Minister of Iraq June 2004 - May 2005	Succeeded by Abdel Hussein Shandal

Persondata
Name	Malik Dohan Al-Hassan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1920
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death