Compensation for those injured in terrorist operations: who hears the claim, and what is examined?
Injury compensation under Law No. 20 of 2009: claims usually go to the sub-committee, which examines the incident link and the medical report.
Read →A claim for compensation after an injury in a terrorist operation
Time limits in compensation files for victims of terrorist operations
In briefThe key time limits in a compensation file: sixty days for the sub-committee to decide an injury or martyrdom claim from the date the complete claim is filed; sixty days to object before the Central Committee from the day after notification; and a disability re-examination every five years. Court challenge periods run from notification of the decision or judgment.
In compensation files for people injured in terrorist operations, the time limit can matter more than the right itself: an objection filed after sixty days from the day after notification is out of time, and a decision that has not been notified has not started its clock. This page gathers the time limits set by Law No. 20 of 2009, its amendments and its Instructions, and explains how the office counts them.
The overall framework is on the Compensation for People Injured in Terrorist Operations page.
Table of time limits
| Step | Period | Counted from | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-committee decision in martyrdom and injury cases | Not more than sixty days | The date a claim meeting the legal conditions is filed | Article 6, Fourth (e), of the Law |
| Objection to decisions and recommendations of sub-committees and ministry committees before the Central Committee | Sixty days | The day after the date of notification | Article 7, First, as amended by Law No. 2 of 2020 |
| Central Committee meetings | At least three meetings a week | — | Article 5, Second, as amended by Law No. 2 of 2020 |
| Re-examination of the injured person before the medical committees | Every five years | When the National Pension Authority requests it | Article 8, Second, of Instructions No. 4 of 2018 |
| Challenge to a Central Committee decision before the Administrative Judiciary Court | Thirty days from notification of the decision (Article 7(2) as replaced by Law No. 57 of 2015) | Notification of the Central Committee decision | Article 7(2) as replaced by Law No. 57 of 2015 |
| Challenge to a judgment of the Administrative Judiciary Court before the Supreme Administrative Court | Thirty days from notification of the judgment or deemed notification | Notification of the judgment | Article 7(2) as replaced by Law No. 57 of 2015 |
How to read these periods
Sub-committee decision: sixty days from a complete claim
Article 6 of the Law requires the sub-committee to issue compensation decisions in martyrdom and injury cases within a period not exceeding sixty days from the date a claim meeting the legal conditions is filed. That qualifier is the key: the period does not start at the first visit to the committee but when the claim is complete. A file missing a medical report or an investigation paper has not entered this period yet. So the office focuses on completing the file before filing, because completeness is what starts the clock.
This is an organisational period that binds the committee to issue its decision on a claim that meets the legal requirements. Payment is a later stage handled by the Ministry of Finance through the governorate, according to the order of decision dates and the funds allocated.
Objection period: sixty days from the day after notification
Article 7, as replaced by the First Amendment Law No. 57 of 2015, set the objection period at thirty days. The Second Amendment Law No. 2 of 2020 made it sixty days from the day after the date of notification. Any older article or post that speaks of thirty days for an objection is describing an amended text.
The count starts on the day after notification, not on the date the decision was issued. So the office asks: when were you actually notified, how, and is there anything in the file that proves the date of notification?
Court challenge periods
The Central Committee's decision is challenged before the Administrative Judiciary Court, and that court's judgment before the Supreme Administrative Court. The office counts each period from notification and checks it against the current statutory text before filing, because a challenge out of time is dismissed on form. See Objection and challenge before the Administrative Judiciary Court.
Re-examination every five years
Instructions No. 4 of 2018 require the National Pension Authority to request that an injured person covered by the Law be re-examined before the official medical committees every five years, to reassess pension entitlements in light of the disability percentage. This is a periodic review for which the injured person should be ready with his or her medical papers. The disability percentage is explained in Medical report and disability percentage.
From what date does the Law apply to events?
The original Law provided that it applies from 20/3/2003. That is why the office still sees files on old events being followed. Any deadline for filing a first claim is checked by the office against the current statutory text and its Instructions when the file is studied. In any case, the older the event, the harder it is to prove, so delay in gathering the investigation and medical papers has a practical cost.
Common mistakes with time limits
- waiting for payment instead of following up notification, then discovering the objection period has passed;
- relying on the old thirty-day period, or on sixty days without counting from the day after notification;
- filing an objection without any new document, when the text ties objections to new documents;
- confusing a reconsideration request for a worsened injury with an objection; they are different routes.
Legal basis and sources
- Law No. 20 of 2009, Articles 5, 6 and 19 — Al-Waqai Al-Iraqiya, issue 4140
- Second Amendment Law No. 2 of 2020, amended Articles 5 and 7
- Instructions No. 4 of 2018, Article 8 (Al-Waqai Al-Iraqiya, issue 4516)
- Instructions No. 6 of 2022 (work of the central committees), Iraqi Official Gazette, issue 4665, 24/1/2022
- Law No. 20 of 2009, Articles 5, 6 and 19 (Al-Waqai Al-Iraqiya, issue 4140).
- Second Amendment Law No. 2 of 2020 (Al-Waqai Al-Iraqiya, issue 4571)
Frequently asked questions
Which objection period applies to a sub-committee decision?
Sixty days from the day after the date of notification, following the 2020 amendment.
I filed months ago. Why was no decision issued within sixty days?
Because the sixty days start from the filing of a claim that meets the legal conditions. If further papers were requested, the period runs from when they are completed.
The incident happened years ago. Can I still file?
The Law applies from 20/3/2003. Whether a claim on an old event is accepted is studied against the current statutory text, and proving it depends on the investigation and medical papers available.
Related topics and articles
- 01Objecting to a compensation committee decision and challenging it before the Administrative Judiciary CourtObjecting to an Iraqi compensation sub-committee decision before the Central Committee within sixty days, then challenging it in court.
- 02The compensation sub-committee and the Central Committee: who decides what?The governorate compensation sub-committee, the Central Committee in Baghdad and ministry committees under Iraq's Law No. 20 of 2009.
- 03Medical report and disability percentage in a terrorism injury compensation fileHow the medical committee sets the disability percentage for terrorism injuries in Iraq, how it shapes entitlement, and the five-yearly re-examination.
- 04Compensation for the families of martyrs, missing and kidnapped persons under Law No. 20 of 2009Who counts as a martyr's family under Iraq's Law No. 20 of 2009, how grants are shared, and how a missing or kidnapped person's file proceeds.
- 05Compensation for property damaged by terrorist and military operationsCompensation for homes, shops and vehicles damaged by terrorism, war operations or military errors under Iraq's Law No. 20 of 2009.
Injury worsened after the decision: what are the options?
Injured in a terrorist operation and the injury worsened after the compensation decision? When to request reconsideration and what papers it takes.
Read →Practical scenarios in compensation files
General practical scenarios under Law 20 of 2009, as amended: missing documents, a deed of death, a timely objection, a transfer, and payment priority.
Read →