(DNE / Ahmed Al-Malky)
State Litigation Authority members urged the body’s leaders not to appeal the verdict overturning Prosecutor General Tala’at Abdallah’s appointment.
The State Litigation Authority (SLA) councillors’ club said it was urging the authority’s supreme council not to appeal in order to “favour the country’s interests” and end the debate over the position of prosecutor general.
In a statement released on Monday night, club chairman Mohamed Taha said that this request comes out of a desire to “restore stability to Egypt which will only be brought about through restoring stability to the judiciary”.
Taha’s statement reminded the Supreme Council of the State Litigation Authority that the body had been granted complete independence under the new constitution as well as judicial status.
Thus, Taha said, the SLA should not appeal the decision simply to assist the executive branch of the state. The SLA functions as judicial representation of the state as a whole in court cases.
The authority is the only body with the right to appeal the recent Cairo Court of Appeals verdict overturning President Mohamed Morsi’s dismissal of former prosecutor general Abdel Meguid Mahmoud and replacing him with Abdallah.
Abdallah is still assuming his duties despite the verdict, and has summoned several activists and media personalities for questioning, as well as issuing arrest warrants.
Unless the appeal goes through, however, Abdallah cannot assume his duties as prosecutor general. Whether or not he will be allowed to perform these duties during the appeals process still unknown; however the verdict has yet to even be appealed.
SLA officials said they were studying the verdict carefully before deciding whether or not to appeal. The authority can only appeal the verdict within 60 days of the court issuing it.
