Is Sisi overstepping the judiciary?
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has appointed a new public prosecutor, without referring to the Supreme Judicial Council, as per constitutional amendments recently approved, which raised the anger of the country's judiciary.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a decree Sept. 12, appointing Judge Hamada al-Sawy as the new public prosecutor, the highest position within the Egyptian Public Prosecution. Sawy replaces Nabil Sadek, whose term ended Sept. 19.
Sisi's decision was met with widespread objections by members of the Public Prosecution and Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Council. The decision pushed a senior official to resign, while others considered a strike or sending an official objection to Sisi.
A senior judicial source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, “There have been objections to the way the new public prosecutor was chosen. According to the judicial practice, the Supreme Judicial Council selects the new public prosecutor and the president only approves the appointment.”
He added, “This time the president made his choice without referring to the customary judicial practice in such cases.”
