Election Integrity & Judiciary Independence

Election Integrity & Judiciary Independence


 


CAIRO CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS STUDIES


Reform Issues Series


 


Election Integrity & Judiciary Independence


 


Introduction


 


       Cairo Center for Human Rights Studies held on May 13th, 2005 a seminar with the participation of a plethora of scholars and judges to discuss “Election Integrity and Judiciary independence”. Due to the topic importance, the center was keen on making the material of the seminar documented and gave me the honor to write the introduction.


         I would like to start with expressing my deep thanks to the officials of the center for their interest in this vital issue. They, in the book, presented stipulations of current Judiciary Authority law and its explanatory memo, the draft bill submitted by the Egyptian judges, 15 years ago, to amend some articles of the law. They also include the draft bill of the Ministry of Justice, still not discussed, and principles of Judiciary Authority independence, approved by UN General Assembly in 1985, as well as the report of the committee entrusted with following up the implementation of the resolutions of Egyptian Judges General Assembly dated May 3rd, 2005. The book also includes principles of the first Justice Conference and report of Judges Club on Constitution Amendment referendum held in May 25th, 2005. These two reports and other principles were tackled as references for considering this bill and would pave the way for the bill discussion and approval as presented by the judges and in line with the promise of the President to issue the law on his nomination to a fifth term in office. He also pledged to call off the emergency status imposed since he assumed office, exceptional laws, the Supreme Council on Judicial Institutions, Attorney-General and Ethics Courts. I hope he would fulfill his promises before the end of his fifth term and amend law of criminal procedures, in a way that allow freedom among citizens and human rights, restrict provisional detention and its period and separate investigation authority from the one that brings charges without rising judge’s retirement age. The aim is to establish a real independent Judiciary Authority up to the Egyptian nation and history.


 


These were the judges’ demands, which have never been met.


 


God be with us


 


Yehiya Al Refae


 


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Election Integrity & Judiciary Independence Dr.Yehiya Al Refae111.89