Judges called out on discipline
2006-04-17 17:10
Cairo - Two Egyptian reformist judges were summoned to a disciplinary hearing on Monday, for leaking information to the press on the alleged involvement of fellow judges in electoral fraud in the country's November-December polls.
If found guilty, Mahmud Mekki and Hisham al-Bastawissi, two members of the judges syndicate who have been calling for a more independent judiciary, could be sacked.
The two were summoned to the hearing by Egyptian justice minister Mahmud Abuleil.
Ahmed Mekki, deputy head of the court of cassation and a leading advocate of reforms, believes the hearing is a way of silencing the more vocal judges.
Mekki said: "The Egyptian government wants judges who follow orders and it wants to intimidate them so they can stop asking for an independent judiciary."
"There is a real worry that this could be the beginning of another 'massacre of the judges'."
Decision will not stop reforms
In 1969 of over 100 reformist judges were sacked after they mounted an aggressive campaign against then president Gamal Abdel Nasser and called for reforms.
Mekki called on Egyptian society to support the judges and stressed that the ministry's decision will not stop the reformist camp's campaign.
The two judges said the hearing was expected.
Bastawisi said: "This move was expected in light of the government's efforts to turn everyone who calls for reforms into a suspect.
"It is proof in itself of the lack of independence of the judiciary because if the judiciary were independent, the minister of justice would not be able to discipline the judges."
According to the Egyptian constitution, judges supervise the polls.