The State Council’s administrative court rejected on Saturday a lawsuit filed demanding the ouster of head of the Lawyers Syndicate Sameh Ashour from the syndicate’s board.
In February, a petition was signed by more than 1,000 lawyers calling for the dismissal of Ashour. The veteran lawyer and unionist then headed a board meeting in March. He called for an emergency general assembly to vote on withdrawing confidence in the board as a whole, rather than just himself as a singular entity.
The lawsuit was filed to the State Council by lawyer Ali Ayoub who demanded in March that Ashour’s statement regarding the board in its entirely be addressed, calling it “illegal evasion” of the law. Ashour’s proposed emergency general assembly will be held on Sunday.
Also on Saturday, a former runner-up in the elections for head of the syndicate Montaser Al-Zayat held a meeting of a lawyers’ coalition that also seeks to oust Ashour.
Al-Zayat asserted the need for judicial supervision over the voting in Sunday’s assembly meeting, which will vote on withdrawing confidence in the syndicate board.
Al-Zayat lost the election in November to Ashour, who continued onto his fourth term as head of the syndicate. However, Al-Zayat, who is known for his Islamist affiliations, rejected the results, adding he will file a lawsuit to reverse the results of the elections.
