Egypt’s Judges Step Forward: The Judicial Election Boycott and Egyptian Reform

{
  "authors": [
    "Nathan J. Brown"
  ],
  "type": "other",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "democracy",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "DCG",
  "programs": [
    "Democracy, Conflict, and Governance",
    "Middle East"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "North America",
    "United States",
    "Middle East",
    "Egypt"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Political Reform",
    "Democracy",
    "Economy"
  ]
}

Other

Egypt’s Judges Step Forward: The Judicial Election Boycott and Egyptian Reform

In a startling development this month, the Egyptian Judges Club decided to boycott their constitutionally mandated role of supervising upcoming elections. Is the Egyptian judiciary on a quest to transform Mubarak’s regime? Rather than a bold move toward regime change, this is a calibrated confrontation with narrower aims: to secure judicial reform and support electoral reform.

By Nathan J. Brown

Published on May 25, 2005

Program

Democracy, Conflict, and Governance

The Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program is a leading source of independent policy research, writing, and outreach on global democracy, conflict, and governance. It analyzes and seeks to improve international efforts to reduce democratic backsliding, mitigate conflict and violence, overcome political polarization, promote gender equality, and advance pro-democratic uses of new technologies.

Learn More

Program

Middle East

The Middle East Program in Washington combines in-depth regional knowledge with incisive comparative analysis to provide deeply informed recommendations. With expertise in the Gulf, North Africa, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, we examine crosscutting themes of political, economic, and social change in both English and Arabic.

Learn More

In a startling development this month, the Egyptian Judges Club decided to boycott their constitutionally mandated role of supervising upcoming elections. Is the Egyptian judiciary on a quest to transform Mubarak’s regime? In a new Carnegie Endowment Policy Outlook, Arab constitutionalism expert Nathan Brown and Egyptian Judge Hesham Nasr argue that rather than a bold move toward regime change, this is a calibrated confrontation with narrower aims: to secure judicial reform and support electoral reform. Brown and Nasr predict that the likely outcome of this standoff will be a series of regime concessions that, while limited, may nonetheless have significant long-term effects on opening a closed political system.

Click on link above for the full text of this Policy Outlook.

About the Author
Nathan J. Brown is a senior associate in the Democracy and Rule of Law Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is an expert on Arab constitutionalism and has written several books on Arab politics.

About the Author

Nathan J. Brown

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

Nathan J. Brown, a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, is a distinguished scholar and author of nine books on Arab politics and governance, as well as editor of five books.

Recent Work

Commentary
Old Wine in New Battles
- Nathan J. Brown
Commentary
In the Trump Gaza Plan, Diplomatic Failure is Success
- Nathan J. Brown

Political Reform Democracy Economy North America United States Middle East Egypt

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary
Emissary
The UN Isn’t Declining. It’s Decomposing.
Washington’s decision to support some UN functions while letting others wither is pulling the organization apart at the seams.
Stewart Patrick, Theodore Zaritsky
Paper
2026 Carnegie California AI Survey
While there are notable demographic, economic, and geographic divides over AI, there is also substantial alignment between Republicans and Democrats.
+2
Ian Klaus, Mark Baldassare, Rachel George, …
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Putin Has Been a Hindrance, Not a Help, to United Russia’s Election Campaign
Russia’s ruling party would have benefited from Putin appearing as its distant patron, but as an active frontman imposing his views on the public, he has done nothing but harm both the party’s election campaign and the ruling system overall.
Andrey Pertsev
Commentary
Emissary
What Would Need to Happen to Slow AI Development?
AI capabilities are moving fast. Most institutions—including governments—can’t keep up.
Anton Leicht, Scott Singer
Commentary
BIS in the New Age of Import Controls
The Bureau of Industry and Security needs to adjust its focus and practices to maintain its position as the U.S. government’s primary champion of international technological competition.
Geoffrey Irving

Egypt’s Judges Step Forward: The Judicial Election Boycott and Egyptian Reform

In a startling development this month, the Egyptian Judges Club decided to boycott their constitutionally mandated role of supervising upcoming elections. Is the Egyptian judiciary on a quest to transform Mubarak’s regime? Rather than a bold move toward regime change, this is a calibrated confrontation with narrower aims: to secure judicial reform and support electoral reform.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Commentary

Emissary

The UN Isn’t Declining. It’s Decomposing.

Washington’s decision to support some UN functions while letting others wither is pulling the organization apart at the seams.

Stewart Patrick, Theodore Zaritsky

Paper

2026 Carnegie California AI Survey

While there are notable demographic, economic, and geographic divides over AI, there is also substantial alignment between Republicans and Democrats.

- +2
Ian Klaus, Mark Baldassare, Rachel George, …

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Putin Has Been a Hindrance, Not a Help, to United Russia’s Election Campaign

Russia’s ruling party would have benefited from Putin appearing as its distant patron, but as an active frontman imposing his views on the public, he has done nothing but harm both the party’s election campaign and the ruling system overall.

Andrey Pertsev

Commentary

Emissary

What Would Need to Happen to Slow AI Development?

AI capabilities are moving fast. Most institutions—including governments—can’t keep up.

Anton Leicht, Scott Singer

hands holding semiconductors in production

Commentary

BIS in the New Age of Import Controls

The Bureau of Industry and Security needs to adjust its focus and practices to maintain its position as the U.S. government’s primary champion of international technological competition.

Geoffrey Irving