Who Is Leïla Aslaoui? Algeria’s Veteran Magistrate Appointed President of the Constitutional Court

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

From courtroom to cabinet and now to the helm of Algeria’s highest constitutional authority, Leïla Aslaoui embodies a lifetime of legal rigor and principled service.

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Algiers, Algeria | July 8th, 2025 — In a decision reflecting Algeria’s commitment to institutional reform and the empowerment of women, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appointed Leïla Aslaoui as President of the Constitutional Court, replacing Omar Belhadj. The move marks a new chapter for the country’s top constitutional authority, responsible for safeguarding the rule of law, ensuring electoral integrity, and arbitrating institutional disputes.

But who is Leïla Aslaoui?

Leïla Aslaoui Hemmadi was born on September 2, 1945, in Algiers, into a family rooted in public service. She earned a degree in political science (1967) and a law degree (1968) from the University of Algiers. Following her distinguished academic pursuits, she forged a successful career in the judiciary, serving as a jurist, adviser, chamber president at the Court of Appeal, and later as an advisor at the Supreme Court.

In June 1991, Aslaoui was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports under Prime Minister Ghazali I, a position she held until February 1992. She was later appointed Secretary of State for Solidarity and Family in April 1994.

In October 1994, her husband, Mohamed-Réda Aslaoui, a dentist, was assassinated by terrorists, an event that profoundly marked her personal and public life and strengthened her commitment to justice and national reconciliation.

Beyond her roles in government and the judiciary, Leïla Aslaoui has been a staunch advocate for civil liberties, especially women’s rights, and founded the Association of Victims of Terrorism in Algeria.

She is also a prolific author, with works that span legal reflection, memoir, and fiction. Her published books include:

• Être juge (1984) — To Be a Judge

• Survivre comme l’espoir (1994) — To Survive Is to Hope

• Coupables (2006) — The Guilty Ones

• Sans voiles, sans remords (2012) — Unveiled, Unashamed

Her literary work has been recognized by the Association of Francophone Writers, particularly for its powerful articulation of justice, resilience, and the female experience in Algeria’s modern history.

In November 2021, she was appointed by presidential decree as a member of the Constitutional Court, newly established to replace the former Constitutional Council following constitutional reforms. As the Court’s most senior member, she briefly assumed its interim presidency in June 2025, after the resignation of Omar Belhadj.

On July 8, 2025, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appointed Leïla Aslaoui as the first full President of the Constitutional Court under Algeria’s new institutional framework. With her vast experience in law, governance, and civil society, she is expected to safeguard the constitutional order, ensure the legality of elections, oversee the constitutionality of legislation, and reinforce the system of institutional checks and balances envisioned by the 2020 constitutional revision.

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