Egypt

Cairo 2^nd,  February 2006

Recommendations of the Workshop on Egyptian Women Occupying Judiciary Positions: Legislative and Realistic Obstacles

Held in Cairo on 30 January, 2006

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) organized the “Egyptian Women Occupying Judiciary Positions: Legislative and Realistic Obstacles” workshop on Monday, 30 January, 2006 in which many legal, diplomatic, media and parliament figures participated.

The conference sessions discussed legislative obstacles, the position of the Constitutions and the Egyptian law from women occupying judiciary positions, degree of agreement on international treaties, realistic obstacles and the position of the Egyptian Judiciary, the role of civil society institutions and the role of the Egyptian media. Participants agreed to adopt the following ACIJLP recommendations:

-          The need for civil society institutions and the media to adopt an enlightened strategy in order to play an educational role and raise public awareness to accept women occupying judiciary positions.

-          The need for state institutions to prepare a timetable of well-considered steps to complete the procedures for women to be appointed to the judiciary.

-          The need for the Supreme Judiciary Council to prepare objective and clear criteria for appointment in Judiciary bodies based on competence and efficiency.

-          Legislative intervention to enable judiciary challenges of decisions issued by judiciary bodies concerning appointment in the mentioned bodies.

-          There should be a system to elect Supreme Judiciary Council members. The Council alone should be able to decide on appointments in judiciary bodies, with the possibility to challenge its decisions.

-          Call upon judiciary bodies to eliminate the existing gender-based discrimination in judiciary bodies in accordance with the articles of the Constitution, the law and the protection of basic rights and freedoms.

-          Call upon relevant decision-makers to intervene to prevent the existing gender-based discrimination concerning appointment in judiciary bodies, to raise the values of equality and respect Egypt’s international agreements.

Call upon the media (the press, television and television drama) to consider women’s role and issues in general, and appointment in judiciary bodies in particular, within a framework of equality and justice.

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