(Photo by: Ahmed Al-Malky)
Judges’ Club President Ahmed Al-Zind announced on Tuesday the club’s decision to invite President Mohamed Morsi to a meeting with judges to solve the current judiciary crisis.
The moderate Islamist Al-Wasat Party submitted a draft bill proposing to lower the retirement age of judges from 70 to 60 in an effort to eliminate what it said was corruption in the judiciary. The bill created a crisis between the judicial, executive and legislative authorities.
In a press conference held at the Judges’ Club on Tuesday, Al-Zind stated that the meeting will not be over until the crisis is solved, reported state-owned Al-Ahram. He stated that the club fully rejects all judges’ bills presented by different political parties to the Shura Council.
“Judges are the ones entitled to draft their own bill,” Al-Zind said. “It is a right granted to them by the law.”
Al-Zind stated that the Judges’ Club members refrained from attending the “Justice Conference” sponsored by the president. He said that outside parties should not interfere in the affairs of the judiciary, adding that the judges have reservations regarding some of those who attended the conference such as the current prosecutor general Tala’at Abdallah.
Morsi met with the heads of all the judicial authorities in the presidential palace on Sunday and agreed to sponsor a “Justice Conference”, inviting the judges to plan it at the palace starting Tuesday. He agreed to have them draft their own new judicial law that he will endorse and present to the Shura Council.
A general assembly of the Judges’ Club met at the High Court building on Wednesday and voted to reject any such amendments to the judiciary bill after sending a warning to the Shura Council.
