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Egypt constitutional court allows women judges in state court system

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court ruled Sunday that female judges can serve on the State Council (Maglis id-Dowla), an administrative court system with jurisdiction over cases involving the state. In its ruling, the court emphasized the equality of all citizens. Last month, the general assembly of the State Council voted to bar the appointment of female judges to the court. The council's supervisory committee later overruled that bar, which led Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif to ask the Supreme Court to rule on the issue. Sunday's ruling stated that the general assembly did not have the authority to determine who can serve on the court and that only the supervisory committee can approve new judges. The supervisory committee is expected to review the issue later this month. Last month, Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the general assembly's vote and argued that all judicial positions should be open to women. In 2007, 31 Egyptian women were selected as judges by Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council, and later appointed by presidential decree despite ongoing resistance from the nation's conservatives. Council chief Mukbil Shakir selected the judges from a pool of state prosecutors who had passed a test for the positions. The move marked the first time in Egypt's history that women were named to preside over criminal or civil cases. In 2003, Tahany el-Gebaly became the nation's first female judge as a member of the Egyptian constitutional tribunal.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 15, 2010 (boomark / email).