The Egyptian Judges Club will hold a general assembly session Friday to discuss what they call a “dreadful silence” from the ruling military council and cabinet vis-a-vis their conflict with lawyers over proposed drafts to change the law governing judicial authority.
Lawyers in particular reject a provision in both drafts to amend Judicial Authority Law 142/2006 that gives judges the authority to detain a lawyer if he or she disturbs a court session. Lawyers deem this provision excessive and arbitrary.
Article 18 of Mekky's draft says judges can order the imprisonment of lawyers for misconduct in court.
Judges Club Undersecretary Abdallah Fathy said the justice minister was not invited to the assembly.
Meanwhile, lawyers are still staging protests in several cities, demanding the “cleansing” of the judiciary.
Two drafts have been submitted to date to amend the Judicial Authority Law, one by Mekky and the other by Ahmed al-Zend, the head of the Judges Club.
Translated from the Arabic Edition
