The Administrative Court has fined Muslim Brotherhood lawyers LE1.47 million for withdrawing appeals they had previously filed in an attempt to change the judges set to rule on the legality of President Mohamed Morsy’s 22 November constitutional declaration.
According to Egyptian law, plaintiff and defense lawyers have the right to request a new judges’ panel if they feel an existing panel is partial to one side.
Legal experts argue that Brotherhood lawyers had demanded the judge changes in order to delay a decision on the constitutional decree until a constitutional referendum is held on 15 December. However, the attorneys withdrew their appeals Sunday after Morsy issued a new constitutional declaration the day before, nullifying the 22 November decree. The court decided not to consider the appeals.
The Administrative Court fined the Brotherhood lawyers LE6,000 for each judge they requested changed. Five judges sit on each panel, and 35 appeals were filed in total.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
