An Egyptian rights organization has raised alarm over what it described as plans by the executive authority to transfer key powers over judicial appointments, training and promotions to the military, warning the move would undermine constitutional guarantees of judicial independence and citizens’ right to justice.
The justice support foundation at the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) said it was gravely concerned by reports that the government intends to abolish the Judicial Appointments Office affiliated with the public prosecutor and to hand authority for training and appointing new prosecution assistants, as well as overseeing judicial promotions, to the Military Academy.
In a statement reviewed by Al Manassa, the foundation said no official body has denied the reports so far, adding that such steps would constitute a “dangerous assault on justice” and a “flagrant violation of the Egyptian Constitution and the United Nations principles on the independence of the judiciary.”
The group said placing judicial affairs under an institution subordinate to the executive authority—namely, the military establishment—would eviscerate the principle of separation of powers.
The statement cited Article 184 of Egypt’s Constitution, which stipulates that “the judicial authority is independent” and that interference in judicial affairs or cases is a crime that does not lapse with time.
It stressed that judicial independence is not a matter concerning judges alone, but one that directly affects citizens’ fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as the protection of both private and public property.
The foundation linked the reported plans to what it described as an escalating trajectory of violations of judicial independence in recent years, arguing that senior judicial councils’ acceptance of so-called “formative” training courses at the Military Academy paved the way for what it called an unprecedented intervention.
The organization called for an immediate and unconditional halt to these practices and urged adherence to the Beirut Declaration and the Cairo Declaration on Judicial Independence. It warned that tampering with the system governing judicial appointments strikes at the heart of citizens’ right to fairness and justice before an independent judge accountable only to the law.
The concerns emerged a day after the Judges’ Club of Egypt held an emergency and well-attended meeting at its downtown Cairo to discuss what it described as a “grave matter” circulating within judicial circles and affecting the judiciary’s affairs.
An internal statement circulated among judges did not explicitly detail the “grave matter” at hand. However, a judicial source who attended the meeting provided clarity to Al Manassa, the issue involves a state-level directive to transfer all judicial appointments and promotions to the Military Academy. Under this plan, the Academy would replace judicial bodies in handling applications, interviews, and final selections.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, obtained by Al Manassa, the Judges’ Club said the meeting was convened as part of its core role in safeguarding judicial independence and preserving the judiciary’s standing. It said it is closely and responsibly monitoring what is being discussed within judicial circles and that it “will not hesitate for a moment to defend the independence of the judiciary and safeguard its dignity” once the facts become clear.
The club’s board urged judges to close ranks behind their club during what it described as a critical phase, stressing that unity remains the sole safeguard for ensuring that the judiciary remains free and independent.
