ACIJLP campaign (Way out Crisis of Egyptian Bar Association) started September 18 1997

The core of crisis was to put the Egyptian Bar under sequestration that should violate lawyers’ right to forming independent, free and professional associations.

Campaign included:

1. Workshop entitled “Way out crisis of Egyptian Bar Association” that implied a working paper prepared by ACIJLP on some suggested solutions for the crisis. Those solutions are:

First to recognize the transitional committee that was produced by the emergency General Assembly convened in may 15^th 1997.

Second: to nominate a transitional council to run the Bar Association for the two months prior to the elections.

Third: to hold the elections under the current council.

Fourth: to give up all law suits involved in the crises including receivership verdict.

Fifth: drafting a new bar law that regulates the formation of the general council from the branch syndicates chiefs.

Sixth: appointing a committee that is composed of grand figures in the field of legal profession who have acceptance among all sides to run the syndicate until the elections.

Plan of Action. Those in attendance agreed upon the following recommendations:

1) That ACIJLP makes an official appeal to the International Commission of Jurists requesting the President of the Republic to remove all remaining barriers preventing the running of immediate elections in the EBA.

2) That the lawyers in attendance submit a proposal to the Egyptian People’s Assembly requesting the repeal of Law 100 / 1993 on the grounds that it is the most serious obstacle to the freedom of professional associations in Egypt.

3) That a commission be formed from among those in attendance to be responsible for the continuation of meetings between all sides of the dispute in order to coordinate a resolution to the current legal and political crisis.

2. A book of the workshop procedures entitled “Way out crisis of Egyptian Bar Association” published by ACIJLP and distributed it to a wide range. (Workshops & Conferences)

3. A poster entitled “ Raise Hands from Bar Association” was published by ACIJLP.

4. ACIJLP requested International Commission of Jurists to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the Bar crisis in Egypt.

The mission came to Egypt on 10 March 1998 and concluded its work on 16 March 1998. The mission presided by Mr. Nail dafedson, Scotland Bar and Mr. Pieer Spestyan, ex-president of Quebec Bar, Montereal- Canada. The mission met with all parties involved in the crisis including the previous Bar’s council, the court sequestration personnel, Government chief personnel, and the head of the court commission that supervises the elections.

Accordingly, the following solutions were suggested so as to resolve Bar crisis:

· Lawyers solidarity.

· Legal objection.

· Elections.

· Political consensus.

The mission concluded to the following recommendations:

1) To hold elections of Egyptian Bar Board before first of October 1998.

2) To provide all support to sequestrators by concern ministries in order to prepare adequate members files.

3) To submit member files to judicial committee by sequestrators.

4) To issue a periodical public statement on elections developments by sequestrators.

5) To develop voting method in order to encourage participation in elections either by postcards or local voting or extention of voting period.

6) To review legality of sequestrating Egyptian Bar by the Supreme constitution Court and to review law 100/ 1993 in order to maintain freedom of Egypt Bar.

5. May press statements were issued to concerned bodies to resolve Bar crisis. (Statements).

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