Constitutional Court halts Tiran, Sanafir verdicts

CAIRO – 21 June 2017: The Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC) ruled Wednesday to temporarily halt all prior court verdicts by the High Administrative Court on the Maritime Borders Demarcation Agreement with Saudi Arabia. The SCC met under Chief Chancellor Abdel Wahab Abdel Razek.

The High Administrative Court’s rulings were issued in the cases no. 43709/70Q and 43866/70Q but were turned down by the Court of Appeals affiliated with the Supreme Administrative Court in case no. 74236/62.

A press release issued by the SCC, stated that the High Administrative Court has no jurisdiction over the matter.

The SCC argued that the High Administrative Court breached the constitutional law in the first case by validating the signature by the government’s representative of the agreement on the grounds that signing international agreements is an act of sovereignty that shall not be reviewed by the judiciary.

The High Administrative Court also breached the constitutional law in the second case by ruling on the demarcation procedures which is not part of its terms of reference, according to the constitution. It is only entitled to review administrative measures, according to the constitution.

The top constitutional court ruling is temporary “until it makes a decision on the judicial conflict of the rulings,” according to state media.