The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) – the highest administrative authority in the judiciary – convened on Monday in a meeting under the chairmanship of Chancellor Mokbel Shaker, President of the Court of Cassation. This is the last meeting of the Council in the era of Shaker, who will officially leave his seat today after the expiry of his contract. The most important decisions made by the Council were to endorse the decision of a Republican bill to amend the law of the judiciary, including the report of the Chancellor Mamdouh Marei, Minister of Justice, with the aim of restructuring the SJC. The amendment is to annex new board members consisting of seven of the SJC: the President of the Court of Cassation Chairman, the first and second deputies, the heads of the appellate courts of Cairo, Alexandria and Tanta, in addition to the Attorney General. It has been repeated that the recent amendment in the law courts will include the heads of the appeal courts of Mansoura and Ismailia, in addition to the Presidents of the Tribunals for the North and South of Cairo, bringing the number of members of the Council to eleven members. The Council decided to approve the assignment of a number of advisers such as assistants to appeal to the Minister of Justice, namely: Chancellor Hosni Ashour, the first assistant to the minister, and Chancellor Mahfouz Sabir, for judicial inspection, and Chancellor Omar Sharif, Assistant Secretary for Legislation. The sources described the judicial amendment of the law of the judiciary as a critical juncture that gives independence to the weak Council, and gives the minister the right to intervene through his aides. Chancellor Ahmed Macki, Vice-President of the Court of Cassation, confirmed that the amendment of the law of the judiciary is under strange circumstances, saying: "What is happening is a farce," pointing out that the issuance of Presidential decree law now under the parliamentary session is only undertaken for urgent matters – according to him. He then asked: "What is the urgent matter that requires the immediate restructuring of the Council?"
Chancellor Zakaria Abdul Aziz, the former Chairman of the Judges Club, considered the union of heads of courts of first instance to the SJC, such as the President of North Cairo or South Cairo, which enables the minister to intervene in the affairs of the Council because he holds the right to appoint the heads of the courts of first instance, and those are described as aids to the minister in courts. Furthermore, they engage in administrative work that has nothing to do with the judiciary.
