Egyptian courts suspend work to protest Morsi move

[No Elephants]

Egyptian courts suspend work to protest Morsi move


Nov 28, 10:59 AM EST

Egyptian courts suspend work to protest Morsi move

By HAMZA HENDAWI
Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's highest appeal courts suspended their work Wednesday to protest presidential decrees that gave the country's Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi nearly absolute powers, state television reported, deepening the turmoil roiling the country since the decrees were announced last week.

A widening dispute between the president and the nation's judiciary is at the center of the uproar over a constitutional declaration placing Morsi above oversight of any kind, including by the courts. At least 200,000 protesters filled Cairo's central Tahrir Square on Tuesday to denounce the decrees and call on the president to rescind them.

Judges with the high and lower courts of appeal decided that they will not return to work until Morsi rescinds his decrees, according to state TV. Many of the country's courts already had stopped functioning due to individual strikes.

The high court of appeal is led by Mohammed Mumtaz Metwali, who also chairs the Supreme Judiciary Council, which oversees the nation's court system. Members of the council met Morsi on Monday to discuss his decrees.

A statement issued later by the presidential palace strongly suggested that the president's explanation of the decrees satisfied the council, but the panel has not publicly commented on the issue.

much more of this great story at

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EGYPT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-28-10-59-32


Egyptian federal judges, including the Egyptian High Court, on strike to protest a grab of power by the relatively newly-elected President?

Egyptian state press reporting this story?

For a country that is relatively new to democracy, Egypt sure seems to get it.

I sure hope the 99% of the U.S. doesn't have to get as poor as the Egyptian 99% before we finally get it, too.



Independent media is worth taking action.

The rule of law is worth taking action.

The Consitution of the nation is worth taking action.

Transfer of wealth to the 1% is worth taking action.

The legal and moral duty of elected officials to represent their constituents, not themselves and their friends and families and their political party, is worth taking action.

Accountability of elected officials is worth taking action. (Hint: voting for the somewhat lesser of two evils once every two to four years does not qualify as taking action.)

[Enthusiast]

1. Wow! nt