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

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
In the Trump Gaza Plan, Diplomatic Failure is Success
- Nathan J. Brown
Commentary
Looking Past the Wall on Palestine-Israel
- 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 Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Ten Years After Karimov’s Death, How Much Has Uzbekistan Really Changed?
In the tenth year of his presidency, President Mirziyoyev’s system is becoming even more personalized than that of his predecessor Karimov.
Galiya Ibragimova
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
As a Former Defense Minister Revolts in Ukraine, Is Zelensky’s System Fracturing?
The greater threat to Zelensky comes not from Fedorov alone, but from the convergence between the former defense minister’s political campaign and the anti-corruption investigations moving ever closer to the presidential administration.
Balázs Jarábik
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Fedorov’s Challenge to Zelensky Could Upend Ukrainian Politics
With his public call for new elections in Ukraine, ex-defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has opened Pandora’s box.
Konstantin Skorkin
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Russia’s Rubber-Stamp Duma Elections Are Exposing Schisms in Putin's Regime
In the discussions made possible by the State Duma election campaign, one question is being asked more and more loudly. “What next?”
Andrey Pertsev
Commentary
Carnegie Politika
Russia Is Approaching a Political Crossroads
Two divergent trends—Putin’s hardline vision of how to prosecute the war in Ukraine, and a growing desire for change in Russia—could tear the regime apart.
Tatiana Stanovaya

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 Russia Eurasia Center

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Ten Years After Karimov’s Death, How Much Has Uzbekistan Really Changed?

In the tenth year of his presidency, President Mirziyoyev’s system is becoming even more personalized than that of his predecessor Karimov.

Galiya Ibragimova

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

As a Former Defense Minister Revolts in Ukraine, Is Zelensky’s System Fracturing?

The greater threat to Zelensky comes not from Fedorov alone, but from the convergence between the former defense minister’s political campaign and the anti-corruption investigations moving ever closer to the presidential administration.

Balázs Jarábik

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Fedorov’s Challenge to Zelensky Could Upend Ukrainian Politics

With his public call for new elections in Ukraine, ex-defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has opened Pandora’s box.

Konstantin Skorkin

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Russia’s Rubber-Stamp Duma Elections Are Exposing Schisms in Putin's Regime

In the discussions made possible by the State Duma election campaign, one question is being asked more and more loudly. “What next?”

Andrey Pertsev

Commentary

Carnegie Politika

Russia Is Approaching a Political Crossroads

Two divergent trends—Putin’s hardline vision of how to prosecute the war in Ukraine, and a growing desire for change in Russia—could tear the regime apart.

Tatiana Stanovaya