A new conflict is looming between Parliament and judicial bodies after the first has recently approved a draft law to amend some provisions of the legal associations laws. The bill, proposed by MP Ahmed Helmi Al-Sherif, seeks to amend Article 44 of the Judicial Authority Law concerning the appointment of the heads of the main judicial bodies, namely the Court of Cassation, State Council, Administrative Prosecution Authority and State Lawsuits Authority. The newly-proposed law gives the president the right to appoint heads of those four judicial bodies from among three candidates nominated by each authority. However, the four bodies gave statements explaining their rejection of the bill. The Support Egypt Front parliamentarian said the motion would further consolidates independence of judicial authority in Egypt and conform to Article 186 of the Constitution. In the past, heads of legal associations were appointed according to the principle of seniority. The President's role used to be confined to ratifying the associations' choices. "There is no law to organize the appointment of judicial bodies heads, and this is considered a violation of the provisions of the Constitution, " Al-Sherif said in a press statement. Adli Hussein, former head of Cairo Criminal Court, slammed the motion as "suspicious", adding it would lead to a "major catastrophe". Addressing a gathering of State Council judges, politicians and intellectuals on Sunday, Hussein said "The new law is a blatant interference in the affairs of judges, who must maintain their independence". Chairman of Egypt's Judges Club, Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, said in televised show, the law of judicial bodies is rejected by the judges because it violates the judiciary and the constitution. "Egyptian Judges' Club informed the parliament its rejection to the law, the parliament has jurisdiction in legislation and the judiciary does not detract from this right, but there are provisions that should not be excluded from the legislation," he said in statements to Ten satellite channel on Thursday. However, a number of judges approved the bill as a good step for a better judicial environment. Judge Ehab Raseef from the State Lawsuits Authority, said the move would "overcome favoritism in judicial authorities and gives room for efficiency".
