Egypt: Appointment of a new President of the Constitutional Court
The Coptic judge, Boulos Fahmy, was sworn in on Wednesday February 9, 2022 as president of the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court, replacing Mr Saïd Marie, whose state of health is very critical. He is the first Coptic Christian to hold this position.
The appointment of Judge Boulos Fahmy, 65, is “an unprecedented giant step,” said the head of the government Human Rights Council, Mouchira Khattab, in a country where Christians represent 10% of the population.
In terms of seniority, Judge Fahmy is in fourth position within the Constitutional Court. For decades, this would have been an obstacle because appointments were made solely on the basis of the number of years of career.
But since coming to power in 2013, President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has changed the game: his approval is no longer a mere formality, he has the power to choose the presidents of the highest judicial institutions.
