Egypt's top judges slam Morsi's new powers

Thousands of Egyptian demonstrators march towards Cairo's landmark Tahrir Square during a protest against Egypt's Islamist President Mohamed Morsi's power grab, on November 23, 2012. Morsi has assumed temporary sweeping powers that supporters say will cut back a turbulent and seemingly endless transition to democracy, but outraged critics say he has now become a dictator. / GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP/Getty Images

CAIRO Egypt's highest body of judges slammed on Saturday a recent decision by the president to grant himself near-absolute power, calling the move an "unprecedented assault" on the judiciary.

The statement from the Supreme Judicial Council came as hundreds protested outside a downtown courthouse against Thursday's declaration by President Mohammed Morsi. The president's decision means that courts cannot overrule his decrees until a new constitution and parliament is in place, several months if not more in the future.

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The judges' condemnation of the president's edicts are the latest blow to Morsi, whose decision set off a firestorm of controversy and prompted tens of thousands of people to take to the streets in nationwide protests on Friday.

Through their statement, carried by the official MENA agency, the judges join a widening list of leaders and activists from Egypt's political factions, including some Islamists, who have denounced the decree.

The Supreme Judicial Council is packed with judges appointed by former President Hosni Mubarak. It regulates judicial promotions and is chaired by the head of the Court of Cassation.

Their move reflects a broader sense of anger within the judiciary against the president. Some judges' groups and prosecutors have already announced partial strikes to protest Morsi's decree.

Morsi has accused pro-Mubarak elements in the judiciary of blocking political progress. In the last year, courts have dissolved the lower house of parliament as well as the first panel drafting the constitution, both led by his Muslim Brotherhood group.

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The edicts Morsi issued mean that no judicial body can dissolve the upper house of parliament or the current assembly writing the new constitution, which are also both led by the Brotherhood. Supporters of Morsi feared that courts reviewing cases against these bodies might have dissolved them, further postponing Egypt's transition under the aegis of a new constitution.

They say Morsi has a mandate to guide this process as Egypt's first freely elected president, having defeated one of Mubarak's former prime ministers this summer in a closely contested election.

The judges' council's stand against the president sets the ground for an uneasy alliance between former regime officials and activist groups that helped topple Mubarak's regime and have in the past derided those officials as "felool," or remnants.

The presidents' opponents nonetheless see the judiciary as the only remaining civilian branch of government with a degree of independence, since Morsi already holds executive power and as well as legislative authority due to the dissolution of parliament.

The judges released their statement following an emergency meeting Saturday. They said Morsi's decision is an "unprecedented assault on the judiciary and it rulings" and called on the president to "distance himself from the declaration and all things that touch judicial authority, its specifications or interference in its members or its rulings."

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[antoniof123]

The military will step in again. I though Egypt had a little more sense than this but I guess not.

Oh well maybe that is what Egypt needs a military Junta dictatorship to govern the country.

[GeorgeontheJesusway]

This is why such radical muslim leaders who promote sharaia law are not to be trusted when they want complete totalatarian power in their nation over other peoples lives and have not in the past treated either Christian right by crucifying them or the Jewish people by sending a missle into Israel while brokering a cease fire. And also why the U.S. congress and President Obama should stop aid to their nation. And instead of them promoting sharaia law they should consider the inspired and preserved word of God, the Holy Bible to give and distribute to their people which more makes for peace then any other book when it is believed and practiced and the Lord God, the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed freely to all. Sincerely ;

[dmnnumberone]

Instead of arguing with the President, why don't you help encourage the constitution along?

[steve real]

What a complete naked power grab by Morsi and the boys. Those Islamist just don't like to share. A pharaoh is born in Egypt and here begins anew dynastic period. Not cool.

[dmnnumberone]

Steve,

The Pharaoh is our connection to Allah. A reincarnation of Osiris. HIs lineage has perpetual blue blood. We ALL descend from the cradle of civilization. This whole planet belongs to God.
The Prophets were Osiris. Otherwise we wouldn't have so many sects in the KINGDOM Of God. Judaism, Hinduism, Zorastrianism, (The Dharmic religions), Christianity, Islam, and I want to call Leonardo Da Vinci a Prophet (because he ushered in Science) are each pillars in the Kingdom. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many 'power' plays.
What's not cool is too many people not doing their homework and pretending like they can just dismiss the truth.