• EGYPT
  • October 16, 2016
  • 3 minutes read

ICJ: Egypt Authorities Must End Politicization of Judiciary, Ensure Independence and Accountability

ICJ: Egypt Authorities Must End Politicization of Judiciary, Ensure Independence and Accountability

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) – a human rights organization specialized in independence of the judiciary – issued a voluminous report in about 180 pages describing how the judiciary and prosecution in Egypt turned into a tool of repression rather than a tool for law enforcement and oversight of the executive branch and police performance.


The report documents how the Public Prosecution in Egypt and judges in the criminal courts violate many basic safeguards for fair trial standards as guaranteed by the Egyptian Constitution and all international conventions ratified by Egypt.


The report is particularly important because it is issued by a specialized body composed of competent researchers and many judges from all parts of the globe, and systematically documents – perhaps for the first time – flaws and breaches very carefully instead of talking in the abstract about "the politicization of the judiciary" in a random manner.


For example, the report exposes how the judiciary is being controlled through the Supreme Judicial Council, which lacks independence. Another example is how to enhance the independence of the supreme courts – such as the Supreme Constitutional Court. The report also addresses the public prosecution in a special chapter, and details how it lost its independence and became a full subsidiary of the executive body.


The report will continue to be a reference for all researchers interested in this issue for years to come.


Download the report in Arabic or English:


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