Arab ReForm

The Judiciary in Egypt...Pursuing reform and promoting independence

An independent judiciary that guarantees the rights to a fair trial and redresses of grievance, and allows access to justice, is a basic pillar of any modern state based on the rule of law. That is why the call to free the judiciary from the executive authority’s control has been one of the constant demands by the national movement in Egypt, both before and after independence. The Egyptian judiciary was severely tested in the wake of the 25th January 2011 Revolution. This was particularly evident in light of the plethora of political and economic corruption cases, the misappropriation of public funds, the obstruction of laws in which the regime of deposed President Hosni Mubarak was implicated, not to mention the killing of demonstrators and brutal suppression of peaceful demonstrations. The paper examines the obstacles that an independent judiciary faces, and the requirements of its reform; it also addresses the issues involved in establishing an independent judiciary, and guaranteeing justice through a fair trial.