ِEgypt’s Supreme Judicial Council approved on Sunday the amendments to the Judicial Authority Law that was recently approved by both President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and the parliament.
The Appeals Court scheduled a general assembly for 23 May to choose the four authority’s heads.
The new law that witnessed great controversy grants more power to the president in appointing the heads of judiciary councils after their appointment for years relied on the concept of seniority.
Several Egyptian judicial bodies and members of the “25-30” parliamentary coalition rejected the law, saying it undermines the independence of the judiciary.
The judges’ clubs previously announced holding a general assembly on 5 May to discuss ways of fighting the law, which already began with a lawsuit against it, questioning its legality.
The state, however, approved the law despite the rejection frpm judicial authorities.
The law will affect the Supreme Judicial Council, the State Council, the State Commissioners Authority, and the Administrative Prosecution.
According to Article 185 of the Constitution, the judiciary authority is an independent authority, and Article 44 of the judicial authority states that the heads of the judiciary councils are selected by judicial councils based on seniority and that the president ratifies the council’s selection of its most senior member.
