Workshop on" Discussions on the draft of the Egyptian constitution"

 

Press Release

Workshop on" Discussions on the draft of the Egyptian constitution"

                                                                 
The Arab Center for the Independence of Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) organizes a workshop on" Discussions on the draft of the Egyptian constitution" on Monday and Tuesday corresponding to 10th  and 11th December 2012 in Pyramisa Hotel- Dokki, Cairo.

The workshop comes in the context of participation in community dialogue at this time, on the draft of the Egyptian constitution, issued by the Constituent Assembly on Friday, 30th November of 2012, and managing a discussion on Articles relevant to public rights and freedoms, the judicial authority and to assess whether the relevant texts and the provisions represent an adequate constitutional protection, and are consistent with the relevant international principles, standards and commitments, or that the drafting and provisions are inadequate, a matter which  may lead to a breach of the constitutional protection of rights and freedoms and violate the principle of separation of powers and independence of the judiciary. The workshop will also discuss the extent to which the draft of the constitution to protect the rights of women and promote their right to participate in the public life.

It is scheduled that the following attendees will participate in the discussion according to the order each of the following sessions: Mr. Nasser Amin, lawyer and director-general of the Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession, prof. Jaber Gad Nassar, constitutional law professor at the Faculty of Law, Cairo University, Mr. Abdul Ghaffar Shoukr, Vice-President of the National Council for Human Rights, prof. Amr Hamzawy, a professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Dr. Farid Zahran, Vice Chairman of the Egyptian Democratic Party, prof. Ibrahim Darwish, constitutionalist and professor of constitutional law at the Faculty of Law, Cairo University, Mr. Essam  Al-Islamboly, lawyer at cassation court and the Supreme Constitutional Court, Mr. Mahmoud Mortada, director of the Center for Alternative Development Studies, prof. Lamia Lotfy human rights activist, Mr. Saber Ammar, lawyer and Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Lawyers Union, Ms. Fardaus Bahnasy, human rights activist, Mr. Sayed Shaaban, lawyer and Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Lawyers Union and Ms. Nevine Ebeid, member of the Political Bureau of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party.

The workshop aims to come up with proposals for drafting the constitution to ensure actual constitutional protection of public rights and freedoms, the independence of the judiciary and judicial authority, to protect the rights of women and their right to participate in public life, establish a Constitution which protects and puts the guarantees of the actual practice of the rights and freedoms and adopts the constitutional principles established and recognized widely including equality, the rule of law and separation of powers.

The workshop will discuss many topics and issues including discussions and public notes on the draft of the constitution particularly public rights and freedoms in the draft constitution between constitutional protections and restrictions, the Egyptian draft constitution on the independence of the judiciary and proposals to draft texts of constitutional articles related to the independence of the judiciary. The workshop will also discuss the status of women's right to equality and participation in public life in the draft of the constitution and proposals to draft constitutional articles in order to ensure the constitutional right of women's participation in public life in practice.

The workshop comes within the framework of the ACIJLP’s activities on the project “Support Women Involvement in Public Life” which will continue over two years, with financial support from the European Union, and includes a number of conferences, workshops, seminars, relevant research papers and training courses.