CAIRO: A delegation representing the Ministry of Justice's legal specialists met with officials from the presidential office Saturday to present their five demands to President Hosni Mubarak as their sit-in enters its 21st day. According to Mahmoud El-Qobeisy, head of the legal specialists' authority in Alexandria and a member of the delegation, their demands included issuing a presidential decree endorsing the drafting of a new legal specialists law and the cancellation of a decision that only allows specialists to peruse the documents of all cases inside the courtroom. They also demanded financial parity with employees at the state judicial authority and the administrative prosecution. "We were warmly received by Hatem Qenawy, director of the president's office, and he pledged to take our demands seriously and respond to it quickly, El-Qobeisy told Daily News Egypt. During the half-hour meeting with Qenawy, the specialists' delegation explained the nature of their job and the importance of issuing a new law that provides them with legal protection and a constant monthly pay. Specialists expressed optimism that the president will resolve the issue in their favor. "We believe that our demands will be appreciated by the president and will be accepted, El-Qobeisy said. "We asked if we should prepare ourselves to continue the sit-in through Ramadan [starting late August], but they told us that the crisis will be resolved sooner, he added. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 specialists from all governorates organized a mass protest in front of the justice ministry. Protesters flew a huge banner with helium balloons requesting the interference of President Mubarak as ministry officials ignored them. Since officials closed their doors to us, we decided to reach them through the windows with this banner, said Mohamed Tahoun, a member of their media committee. Legal specialists began an open sit in on July 6 demanding the replacement of law 96/1952, the cancellation of periodic book number eight that allows them to examine a case s documents only in the court room and asking for better pay and work conditions. The protests also included tens of female specialists who urged First Lady Suzanne Mubarak to interfere on their behalf. The Arab Lawyers Union also issued a statement to support the protestors and their demands. Our support is based on the direct link between this issue and guarantees of judicial independence and providing the criteria for due diligence according to international standards, said the statement. The union called for direct negotiations between specialists and the ministry instead of the current dismissive attitude. At the same time, the Union criticized the protesting specialists for refusing to work since this is an obstacle to wrapping up hundreds of cases. If cases were delayed by 50 percent in the past, they are now 100 percent delayed, Amr Mohamed Ismail, a lawyer, told Daily News Egypt. All cases are delayed and court sessions are postponed because there are no legal specialists, he added.
