Bar crisis turns into a catastrophe

April 1999

The ACIJLP appeals to international jurist organizations to call upon
the Egyptian government to put an end to the crisis


In an extremely serious development, the premises of the Bar Association
was closed, its administrative responsibilities were suspended, and some
of its services were transferred to the branches and to some lawyers'
private offices.  This step would be a real breakdown of the legal
profession in Egypt.  The current crisis of the Bar Association is the
worst in its history.

Since the holding of an extraordinary general assembly on 18 March 1999,
the Bar premises, has been closed by security forces.  Accordingly, the
squestrators in charge of the bar decided to distribute its services to
its branches, as well as to some lawyers' private offices.  Hence, the
Giza branch will be responsible for matters related to lawyers pension,
the office of Abdel-Aziz Gabr, lawyer and the third sequestrator, will
take care of the medical services.

It must be noted that the sequestrators described the closing of the
Bar, which was made under the claim of making some renovations, as being
a governmental decision and that they had no relation to it.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal
Profession (ACIJLP) can assert that no renovations have taken place over
the past fifteen days, since the closing of the bar premises.  It also
asserts that since 19 March, the building has been surrounded with large
number of security forces, a fact that confirms the involvement of the
government, and indicates its clear intention not to hold elections in a
near future.

It must be noted that the government has been ignoring judicial rulings
(23 rulings to date) by the State Council to the effect that elections
must be held at the Bar Association.  The lawyers found no other way but
to hold their general assembly in the street such was the case on 15 May
1997, and 18 March 1999, in spite of the many obstacles imposed by the
government.

The ACIJLP regrets to say that this drastic development was a natural
consequence of the non existence of democratically elected council and
head of the Bar.  It warns that the new escalation would block the way
for any peaceful solution of the crisis, and open the door for violent
protest acts by lawyers.

The ACIJLP, based on its close follow up on the crisis, would assert
that it has led to the suspension and disturbance of many services and
committees, such as

1- Suspension of works of the committee for the defense of freedoms,
which defends people accused in cases of opinion
2- Suspension of the work of the committee on Arab affairs
3- Suspension of the work of the general library of the Association
4- Suspension of the work of the regional committee of female lawyers
5- Suspension of the work of the youth committee
6- Non-attendance of members of the bar council at interrogations taking
place with lawyers by the Public Prosecution
7- Suspension of registering lawyers in the lists of practitioners, and
suspension of obtaining lawyers subscriptions
8- Suspension of sealing contracts, made by lawyers, with the Bar seal,
which is a legal condition for the validity of contracts
9- Disturbance in receiving pensions by lawyers
10- Disturbance in receiving free medical service
11- Hampering the filing of many law-suits due to the non-availability
of the legal profession stamp which must be put on the pleading
declaration and also on applications for attending sessions.  The stamp
used to be sold by the Bar Association.

The center regrets to say that the suspension of all these services, and
assigning a lawyer's office to take care of some of them, is an
irresponsible disregard of the rights of people in general, and lawyers
in particular, shown by those in charge of the bar in its crisis.

It asserts that the continuation of the closure of the bar premises is a
serious escalation of the crisis that would lead to a breakdown of the
legal profession in Egypt.  The ACIJLP appeals to international jurist
organizations in general, and the International Commission of Jurists,
the International Bar Association, and the International Association of
Lawyers in particular, to call upon the Egyptian government to remove
all the obstacles it has been imposing on holding of elections in the
Egyptian Bar Association since three years, and to hold elections soon.


ContactNasser Amin
8/10 Mathaf el-Manyal St., Manyal el-Roda,
Cairo , 11451  Egypt
Tel/Fax (202)  3620732

This document is published online by Derechos Human Rights