EGYPT: Egypt's state court joins a judicial strike in protest against a decree expanding President Mohamed Mursi's powers.

Record ID: 341009

  • Title: EGYPT: Egypt's state court joins a judicial strike in protest against a decree expanding President Mohamed Mursi's powers.
  • Date: 30th November 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (NOVEMBER 30, 2012) (REUTERS) SIGN FOR JUDGES OF STATE COURT CLUB/CLUB ENTRANCE JUDGES SEATED FOR MEETING BANNER WITH INSIGNIA FOR CLUB FOR JUDGES OF STATE COURT DEPUTY HEAD OF STATE COURT, HAMDI YASIN OKASHA, SPEAKING AT MEETING JUDGES IN AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEPUTY HEAD OF STATE COURT, HAMDI YASIN OKASHA, SAYING: "Since the President of the Repu
  • Embargoed: 15th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Legal System,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABFA9EONPFADI6F3BM33918L3B
  • Story Text: Egypt's state court judges joined a strike by members of the judiciary on Friday (November 30) in protest against a presidential decree issued last week that granted Mohamed Mursi extraordinary powers.
    President Mursi is waging a high-stakes battle with Egypt's judges, many of them foes of his Muslim Brotherhood, which is bent on purging a judiciary it says is tainted by appointees of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak.
    Judges called strikes and top courts halted work in protest at Mursi's decree that extended his powers and put his actions temporarily above legal challenge to try to speed up the country's democratic transition.
    Hamdi Yasin Okasha, the deputy head of the State Court, said at a meeting of the State Court Judges' Club on Friday that the president had overreached his authority.
    "Since the President of the Republic usurped his authority and attacked the judiciary, and deviated from his responsibilities, and abandoned constitutional legitimacy, and sanctified one man rule, this is not justified by the fact that it is meant to be temporary," he said.
    The decree sparked eight days of confrontation and violence as Egyptians accused Mursi of taking over the role of "pharaoh" from Mubarak and tens of thousands held a demonstration against the decree in Tahrir square on Friday.
    State court deputy head Okasha said the court had taken action after Mursi failed to withdraw his decree.
    "And for that reason the general meeting of the Judges Club of the State Court announces its rejection of what is known as the 'Constitutional Declaration', dated 21 November, 2012, and all its implications, and the refusal to give in to the public's demands to withdraw this edict," he said.
    The court, which handles administrative and corporate cases, would suspend its work, said Okasha.
    "There is a suspension of work in state court offices and in all of its courts, except in urgent cases, including the first circuit administrative court, and they will not receive salaries during the time of the suspension," he said.
    Many Egyptian judges say their independence is at risk - a risible notion for Islamists who believe many of their judicial critics sold out to Mubarak or sacrificed integrity for personal gain long ago, and are now throwing up obstacles to Mursi's rule.
    Mursi promises to preserve judicial independence in the new Egypt, but for decades he and his Brotherhood colleagues were at the sharp end of Mubarak's justice, jailed by exceptional courts under decades-old emergency laws on terrorism or other charges, or detained without trial for months or more.
    Rights activists say Mursi's decree shows his idea of reform is to change personalities, not the institution, opening the way to interference in a new form.
    Mamdouh Darwish, also a deputy at the State Court, said the judiciary was prepared to take further measures - including reconsidering their role in supervising an upcoming referendum on the constitution.
    "If our demands are not met, there are other steps that we are looking at, for example with regards to the coming referendum. And there are other steps. So we hope that the President responds to the demands of the people, not only the demands of the judiciary, and thereby stops any discord and division before it starts," he said.
    A new Egyptian parliamentary election cannot be held until a new constitution is passed. Egypt has been without an elected legislature since a court ordered the dissolution of the Islamist-dominated lower house in June.
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