Egypt's Top Judges Condemn Power Grab by Morsi

Protesters plan massive march on Tuesday
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 24, 2012 10:19 AM CST
Egypt's Top Judges Condemn Power Grab by Morsi
President Mohammed Morsi speaks to supporters outside the presidential palace in Cairo on Friday.   (AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency)

Mohamed Morsi's decision to significantly expand his own powers in Egypt is getting an emphatic condemnation from the nation's top judges, reports the Guardian. Morsi's decree putting his office above the courts until a constitution is written is an "unprecedented assault" on the judiciary, they wrote. The judges, many of whom were appointed by Hosni Mubarak, ordered work suspended in all courts until Morsi reverses himself.

The judicial criticism comes a day after protests broke out against Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party in Cairo's Tahrir Square as well in Alexandria and other cities, reports al-Jazeera. While those protests seem to have calmed down today, opponents called for a massive march to Tahrir Square on Tuesday, reports Reuters. Dealing with the protesters presents Morsi with his "toughest challenge" yet, says an analysis in Israel's Haaretz. (More Egypt stories.)

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