Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited Downtown Cairo's High Court complex Saturday in celebration of Judiciary Day. In a short speech, the president praised the role of the judiciary and the prosecution in upholding the law and carrying out their duties in this "current critical period." He also reiterated his commitment to the independence of the judiciary according to the constitutional principle of the separation of powers. "I've made sure, since I've been elected, not to interfere in [judicial] affairs and emphasise its independence," al-Sisi said. "Egypt's judges will remain a fortress for justice ... The powerful and the weak are both equal in front of the law," he added. Al-Sisi was received in the High Court complex by prosecutor-general Hesham Barakat and head of the Judges Club Ahmed El-Zend. Egypt's judiciary has recently been criticised by local and international rights groups for a number of speedy trials that ended in mass death sentences for Islamist opposition members. The government has insisted that the executive branch does not interfere in the work of Egypt's courts. Source: Ahram Online
