[women-rights] Appointment of female judges in the judicial authority courts is a right step towards Egypt's commitment and respect of it's international obligations

Cairo, March 18th 2007 -- The Arab Center for the Independence of
Judiciary and Legal Profession received the decision, issued by the
Judiciary Higher Council, dated March 14th 2007, to appoint 31 female
judges and chief justices in the judicial authority courts, with great
welcome.

While the center praises this decision, it regards it as a positive step
toward correction of wrongly situations prevented the Egyptian woman of
her constitutional right to assume judicial positions and a great step
toward the implementation and commitment of Egypt's international
obligations, especially the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against women.

The expresses that this enlightened step should followed by a lot of
procedures from the Egyptian government and the Judiciary Higher Council;
to open the door for nomination and to select between all Law Schools'
female graduates in Egypt according to the objective and clear procedures
related to the appointment in judicial bodies, especially UN principles in
respect of the independence of the judicial authority and Un principles in
respect of the role of general attorneys, which prohibit discrimination in
nomination and appointment in judiciary because of gender, social origin
or property, and rise the quality standard as a decisive between
applicants to assume judicial positions.

And the center sees that this step, regarding raising the principles of
equality and equal opportunities of appointment in judicial bodies, needs
an enlightened strategy between civil society institutions and government
in order to preserve the new state's heritage, which regards the complete
citizenship of women as one of its important supports.

While the center expresses its happiness of this decision, it call upon
the Judiciary Higher Council to activate the related provisions of
judicial authority and the law of legal profession which allow the
appointment of 25% of male and female lawyers in the judicial authorities.

Nasser Amin 
Director General Arab Center for the Independence of Judiciary and
Legal Profession (ACIJLP) 
8/10 Mathaf El Manyal St., Manyal El Roda, 
Cairo, Egypt 
acijlp@thewayout.net 
www.acijlp.org & www.acicc.org