EGYPT: Egypt's Cassation Court and the country's most important appeals court suspend their work demanding President Mursi withdraw a decree putting him above judicial review

Record ID: 341007

  • Title: EGYPT: Egypt's Cassation Court and the country's most important appeals court suspend their work demanding President Mursi withdraw a decree putting him above judicial review
  • Date: 28th November 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (28 NOVEMBER, 2012) (REUTERS) EGYPT'S COURT OF APPEALS BUILDING MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY WALKING OUT THROUGH THE GATES, BUILDING SIGN ABOVE ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HIGH COURT JUDGE, MUSTAFA KOUMI, SAYING: ''It is the first time in the history of the Cassation Court that it has suspended its work and it's the first time in the history of the appeals cour
  • Embargoed: 13th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7LB8L3C0T3GIRO9D9WBX98YLH
  • Story Text: Egypt's Cassation Court and the country's most important appeals court said on Wednesday (November 28) they would suspend their work pending a ruling on the constitutionality of President Mohammed Mursi's decree granting him immunity from judicial review.
    ''It is the first time in the history of the Cassation Court that it has suspended its work and it's the first time in the history of the appeals court that it has suspended its work,'' said High Court judge Mustafa Koumi as he left the building.
    The judiciary is angry over a power grab made by Mursi last week which shielded him and the body writing the country's new constitution from legal challenge until a new parliament is elected.
    ''We are demanding the cancellation of the decree issued by President Mohammed Mursi and we are suspending all our work except in corruption cases, the cases of killing protesters and in the family courts,'' said High Court judge Dr Ali Emara.
    On Monday (November 26) Mursi's spokesman announced the decree only concerned sovereign matters, but its exact remit was not clarified.
    ''Now that the Cassation Court decided to suspend its work, Mursi will have to withdraw his decree and not just amend it. He needs to definitively cancel it,'' said Deputy High Court judge Diaa Abdel Maguid.
    The judiciary is also demanding the recently sacked prosecutor general be re-instated. He was fired by the president soon after announcing the decree. In October an effort by the president to dismiss him had been thwarted by the judiciary.
    A spokesman for the Supreme Constitutional Court, which declared the Islamist-led parliament void earlier this year, said on Wednesday that it felt under attack by the president.
    Other regional appeals courts across Egypt have already suspended their work.
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