A forthcoming court ruling will likely invalidate the Constituent Assembly, said Lawyers Syndicate President Sameh Ashour on Monday night. “It is because the Supreme Constitutional Court ruling to disband Parliament prevented taking legal steps to protect the assembly,” he explained. The Administrative Court is hearing lawsuits on Tuesday filed by a number of lawyers and legal centers against the validity of the second Constituent Assembly, which was elected by former members of the now dissolved People's Assembly and the Shura Council. “The assembly is full of law doctors like those of the former regime,” Ashour said. “They tailor-make laws in favor of the Freedom and Justice Party.” According to the recently passed supplement to the Constitutional Declaration, if the Constituent Assembly is disbanded or otherwise unable to carry out its work, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces will form another within a week. The SCAF claims that their Constituent Assembly would represent all segments of society and would have to craft a new constitution within three months from the date of its formation, which in turn would be put forward for a referendum within 15 days of its completion. “The chairman of the assembly, Hossam al-Gheriany, has Islamist orientations,” Ashour said. “The new constitution should be for all Egyptians.” For his part, Freedom and Justice Party leader Sobhi Saleh said the second Constituent Assembly is perfectly legal. “It was formed by an elected parliament,” he said, denying that his party intends to dominate it. “Those who withdrew from it want the military to form and control its own [assembly],” Saleh said. The list of 100 names comprising the assembly triggered objections from liberals and Christians, raising the prospect of fresh legal challenges to the new assembly. Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
