(DNE File Photo/ Hassan Ibrahim)
The Supreme Constitutional Court’s general assembly approved on Sunday the appointment of justice Adly Mansour to replace outgoing chief justice Maher El-Behairy whose term ends on 30 June due to him reaching the age of retirement.
Mansour is currently the court’s first deputy chief justice. The 2011 amendments to the Supreme Constitutional Court Law state that the president must appoint the court’s chief justice from its three longest-serving deputy chiefs and that the general assembly must approve the appointment.
The law previously allowed the president to choose someone from outside the court and did not require the general assembly’s approval.Ousted President Hosni Mubarak’s last appointment for the position was Farouk Sultan who never previously served on the court and was a member of the military judiciary.
The court’s general assembly also approved the appointment of justice Ragab Selim to the court as a deputy chief justice to replace Mansour. Selim is currently the head of the court’s Commissioner’s Authority.
The Supreme Constitutional Court is composed of a chief justice and 10 justices as per the new constitution. It was previously composed of a total of 19 judges, but following the adoption of the new constitution eight justices were removed.
The court rules on the constitutionality of all legislation and must approve all election laws before their adoption in parliament and signing into law by the president.
