Egypt

Cairo, 18^th May 2008

ACIJLP concludes its series of discussions on making

 the ICCPR more effective in the shadow of security harassment

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) has concluded its series of discussions held in Alexandria in which law professors from Egyptian universities took part.

The discussion, held from 14^th – 15^th May 2008, dealt with human rights law, international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions and the legal status of international agreements in Egyptian legislation. The series of discussions also included a study of the provisions of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), in particular those concerning the right to life, the right to bodily integrity, the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the guarantees of  fair and impartial trial and the role of legal professions in making these provisions effective.

The most important of the participants’ findings at the end of the series of discussions are as follows:

1. The relevant bodies must print copies of Egypt’s international obligations, in particular the ICCPR and the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment and distribute them to members of the judiciary. They must also organise conferences, discussions and training programmes in order that the judiciary are presented with these provisions and ways of making them effective.
2. The Ministry of Justice must be urged to publish the verdicts of the Egyptian judiciary which are either in conflict with, or founded on, provisions of conventions ratified by Egypt.
3. Egyptian civil society organisations and the Lawyers’ Syndicate must be urged to publish ratified conventions and train lawyers in the skills needed to use these conventions before domestic courts.
4. Civil society institutions must be urged to intensify their efforts in order to raise public awareness of Egypt’s international obligations and pledges.
5. The Egyptian People’s Assembly must re-examine laws in conflict with Egypt’s international pledges and obligations, and draft legislation in implementation of conventions and treaties wherever such legislation is necessary to implement these conventions and treaties.

ACIJLP organised this series of discussions in Alexandria. It had been planned that the discussions would last from the 14^th to the 16^th May 2008, but ACIJLP brought them to a close on the second day after the hotel’s administration feigned technical difficulties in the room in which discussions were being held. After members of the judiciary and participants in the discussion had left, ACIJLP learnt that the bodies responsible for the hotel’s administration had experienced interference by security bodies.

back