The crisis between the Judges Club and the Lawyers Syndicate over the new judicial authority draft law has escalated, as syndicate members filed 15 complaints with the attorney general against the judges. Judges Club spokesperson Mahmoud al-Sherif said an emergency general assembly would be held on Friday to discuss the crisis. Sherif lashed out at the military council for agreeing to the lawyers' demand by postponing the issuing of the draft law until after parliamentary elections. “To be a lawyer, that's a profession, whereas the judiciary is a branch of government,” he said. “And the prestige of the judiciary stems from that of the state.” He called for issuing the draft law before the elections so as to guarantee judicial supervision of the elections. Minya Judges Club President Ahmed Suleiman warned that the state may be unable to protect some 30,000 ballots during the elections if it is unable to protect courts from acts of thuggery on the part of the lawyers, as he put it. Meanwhile, lawyers continued protesting in various governorates, accusing judges of stalling justice by refusing to go to courts. Syndicate presidential candidate Sameh Ashour blamed the judges for the escalation of the crisis through their refusal to work. His rival Montasser al-Zayat confirmed that the lawyers will not end their strike unless their demands are met. Translated from the Arabic Edition
