Baghdad: Iraq's outgoing President Barham Salih on Tuesday called for cooler heads to prevail after the country's judiciary suspended its activities, saying the move should not be a catalyst for further unrest.

The dormancy of the judiciary risks putting the country on a "dangerous" path, he said in a statement, underlining "peaceful protest and freedom of expression" as constitutional rights.

Iraq's judiciary suspended its activities after supporters of prominent cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr assembled near its headquarters in an effort to urge Iraq's top court to dissolve parliament.

Prime Minister Mutafa Al-Kadhimi cut short his visit to Egypt in order to deal with the crisis at home, while Baghdad has seen its longest run without a government in two decades.