One ruling that doesn't pass the sniff test

Hisham Talaat Moustafa is a very big and very rich fish in Egypt, and he discovered that what happens in Dubai doesn't stay there. In an impressive example of police work, the Dubai police provided extensive evidence to establish the responsibility of the tycoon for the 2008 murder of his former girlfriend, the pop singer Suzanne Tamim. The actual killing was done by a retired Egyptian cop who left enough physical evidence to make for an open and shut case. Moustafa's role in hiring the killer was captured on tapped phone conversations. Both men were convicted of murder and sentenced to hang. The rich and powerful in Egypt seldom answer for their misbehavior, not to mention dance for their crimes, so the trial, which captivated Egyptians, was an unexpected vindication of justice.

Yesterday, the Court of Cassation ordered a new trial. Let's just say the odor is not pleasant, especially given what seems to have been compelling and extensive evidence presented during the trial. Watch this story.

Egypt's Judges Club speaks out on professional syndicates

While the Egyptian government has succeeded in co-opting and corrupting some judges, the courts remain an important source of resistance to the regime's arbitrary law-making and disdain for the Constitution. The Judges Club, in particular, continued to maintain its independence. This is illustrated in its study of the government's persistent efforts to stultify and intimidate civil associations.

Arab Reform Initiative (ARI)
"According to the study, if one looks at the provisions of Law No. 100 and its amendments under the title of ensuring syndicates’ democracy, they would find out that it only aims at assassinating democracy and undermining the competences of the syndicates’ general assemblies, he said.

"It affirmed that the law does not only violate Article 173 of the Constitution by not taking the opinion of the Supreme Council of Judicial Authorities, but it also violates the principle of the separation of powers and relies on judges to carry out administrative work. In addition, it uses judges to confiscate the right of syndicates’ members to choose their leaders."