'Judges for Egypt' declares support for Morsi's constitutional decree

Hundreds of judges hold meeting on Saturday to support Morsi's controversial constitutional declarations, charge judges who oppose the president are former regime loyalists The reform judges caucus"Judges for Egypt" have declared on Saturday their support for President Mohamed Morsi's newly issued constitutional declaration. Judges for Egypt held a meeting in opposition to another meeting held by judges who organised an extraordinary general assembly for the Judges' Club at the High Court headquarters to discuss measures against President Morsi's constitutional decree, which they argue oversteps their judicial jurisdiction and independence. The group's official spokesperson Walid Sharaby stated to Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr news channel that the Judges for Egypt meeting was attended by hundreds of their members. Shalaby said that their meeting, like that of the Judges Club, could have been attended by political figures, especially from the Freedom and Justice Party, the Nour Party in addition to others, but said the judges wished to remain politically neutral. "We are honoured that our meeting [to support the constitutional declaration] was not attended by members of the High Constitutional Court (HCC). We know of their orientation; they only seek to restore the old Mubarak regime," the spokesperson stated to Al-Jazeera. The HCC has frequently accused the Morsi appointed Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki and the Islamist-led Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting Egypt's new constitution of attempting to infringe upon its authorities. Sharaby also charged the Judges Club had no right to issue decisions as its extraordinary assembly was not attended by all of its members. He also attacked the speech given at the assembly by the Head of Judges Club Ahmed El-Zend, a fierce Morsi critic, saying it was "politicised". From Ahramonline