The Supreme Constitutional Court set 12 May as a verdict session for the case calling for the Shura Council dissolution in its Monday session. The court referred the Shura Council case to its commissioners' authority, an advisory panel of experts, in January and received the report on Monday. The court asked for their recommendation since the status of the upper house of parliament changed after the adoption of the new constitution. Several lawyers filed complaints calling for the dissolution of the council, arguing that the law its elections were based upon is unconstitutional. The court had in June dissolved the People's Assembly, the lower house. It ruled the elections law, which was the same for both houses, unconstitutional. The court was meant to rule on these cases on 2 December but Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Morsi besieged the building and prevented judges from getting in, forcing the court to suspend activity. By the time the court reconvened the new constitution had passed. The new constitution transfers full legislative authority to the Shura Council until a new lower house, renamed the House of Representatives, is elected. The constitution also bestows new legislative powers on the council in general, in addition to the ones it holds during the transitional period. The Supreme Constitutional Court's commissioners' authority report recommended the court should not dissolve the Shura Council since it is protected in the new constitution and is entrusted with legislative authority. The court will also rule on the constitutionality of the emergency law in its 12 May session, after several lawyers filed a case declaring the emergency law unconstitutional.
