- Judges ActivitesReform Issues
- April 25, 2007
- 7 minutes read
Judges’ Club Starts Escalation against Extending Retirement Age
Member of the Judges” Club Board of Directors organized demonstration with judicial badges in front of their club headquarters in central Cairo yesterday, in a quick reaction to the government”s rash discussion and approval of the bill amending the judiciary law in the People”s Assembly.
The club”s board of directors considered the amendment a direct threat to the judiciary and future of the judges and it sent a notice to Interior Minister, Habib Al-Adli, for staging a march to the presidential palace to declare the judges” rejection to the bill.
The protesting judges pointed out that raising the retirement age is fully illegitimate, and that the People”s Assembly”s rash discussion and approval of the bill even before the Shura Council does so, confirms that there is a foul play and illegitimate plots which are secretly contrived
.The members of the club”s Board of Directors threatened that this protest vigil is just a step that wil be followed by other steps until the general assembly is held next Sunday, and a number of judges presented requests to the club for organizing an open sit-in the Judges” Club, and parallel sit-ins in the club”s branches nationwide, while a number of opposition and independent MPs joined the judges” vigil, expressing their solidarity with them regarding their demands
.The club issued a statement to judges, in which they said:” Egyptian judges .. A challenge has been issued against to your will and your declared opinion in your successive general assemblies, the latest of which was in Feb., 16th, 2005, of rejecting raising the retirement age; in contradiction to the president”s promise this April 16th, 10 MPs from the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) topped by the majority leader presented bill on which they previously agreed with the Justice Minister for foul intentions; although it is harmful to justice and judges, it was approved on the same day; therefore we call you to attend an emergency general assembly to discuss this issue in your club”s headquarters”.
Counselor Mahmoud Al Khodairi, the chief of Alexandria Judges” Club and one of the prominent reformists in the Judges” Club, said:” We started to take the necessary measures towards this bill, which we see as a conspiracy contrived by the ruling NDP.
Al Khodairi added in a statement to Ikhwanweb that the National Democratic Party carries out this conspiracy for judges picked up to supervise the election committees, an insult to all judges.
We declare to all people that they issue these amendments of overtly foul intentions; if the information tipped to the president have any biased opinion, we sent him our voice through telegrams, and through the measures that we will declare in the emergency general assembly, added Al Khodairi.
Al Khodairi stressed that the Judges” Club rejects the idea of extending the retirement age for the judges, accusing the ruling NDP of challenging the will of all the judges who reject this bill.
Al Khodairi said: I am very concerned over the increasing rate of unemployment prevailing the country and over policemen, diplomats and militaries who are given early retirement, while the judges remain in their jobs till 68, let alone attempts to raise their retirement age.
How This Bill Was Approved
Last Sunday, April 22, 2007, witnessed several very rashly issued measures that deserves to join the Guinness World Records: during this day:
-The People”s Assembly sent a letter to the Justice Ministry to take the judiciaries opinion around a judiciary bill for extending the retirement age of the judges to 70 years.
-On the same day, Minister Mamdouh Marie sent 5 letters to the Supreme Constitutional Court, the State Judicial Department, the Administrative Prosecution Authority, the Court of Cassation and the State Council to take their opinion around amending the law;
-Also on the same day, April 22, the Supreme Judicial Council, the Supreme State Judicial Department, the supreme council for the administrative prosecution and the council of administrative affairs in the State Council and the General Assembly of the Supreme Constitutional Court, held meetings and all of them agreed, on the same day, on the amendments.
They even sent letters signed by chief justices of these authorities to the Justice Minister, some of them had the phrase “top-secret and urgent” written on them like counselor Maher Abdul Wahed, the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court; while counselor Al Sayed Nofal the chief justice of State Council wrote only “top-secret” on the letter.
-Also on the same day, Justice Minister Mamdouh Marie sent a letter to Dr. Fathi Serour to inform him that the Supreme Judicial Council, the Supreme State Judicial Department, the supreme council for the administrative prosecution and the council of administrative affairs in the State Council and the General Assembly of the Supreme Constitutional Court approved the bill lodged by some MPs for amending judiciary law no. 46 of the year 1972 and all other judiciary laws.
-Dr. Fathi Sorour received the Justice Minister”s letter on the same day “”April, 22” and referred it to the committee for legislative and constitutional affairs in the People”s Assembly that held its meeting on the same day also “April, 22” and decided to approve amending the law .
