The Supreme Administrative Court upheld an earlier ruling that rejected a petition calling for toppled President Hosni Mubarak to be reinstated.
The lower Cairo Administrative Court had turned down the petition filed by three lawyers and a number of Mubarak supporters, arguing that the former leader’s resignation was a sovereign action that was not subject to judicial review in general and administrative judiciary in particular.
Mubarak stepped down after nearly 30 years in power following a popular uprising in January 2011, handing power over to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. But the petitioners said Mubarak’s resignation was at odds with the Law 174/2005, which required nation-related presidential decisions to be referred to a public referendum.
Mubarak awaits retrial scheduled for 13 April over charges of complicity with the murder of at least 800 peaceful protesters during the revolution. A criminal court had previously sentenced him to life.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
