Scores of judges converged outside Egypt's High Court in downtown Cairo on Monday evening to demonstrate against proposed amendments to a judicial authority bill intially tabled by Islamist parliamentarians in April.
The demonstration, organised by the Egyptian Judges Club – which represents over 90 percent of the nation's judges – came in the wake of a strike launched by judicial officials last week to protest parliament's insistence on discussing the proposed legislation.
Proposed amendments to the law would see the retirement age of judges reduced from 70 to 60, effectively pensioning off about one quarter of Egypt's roughly 13,000 serving judges.
Many judges believe the proposed changes to the law are intended as a form of "payback" by the Muslim Brotherhood – which currently enjoys a parliamentary majority – against judges who had jailed many of the group's members during the Mubarak era.
They also believe the proposed amendments will give the Islamist group a chance to stock Egypt's judiciary with Brotherhood loyalists.
Supporters of the bill say the retirement age for judges had originally been 60, but was raised several times by Egypt's pre-revolution parliament in order to maintain judges loyal to ousted president Hosni Mubarak in their posts.
Proponents and opponents of the bill held compteting rallies on several occasions in Cairo's downtown district within recent months.
Outside the court on Monday, hundreds of other demonstrators gathered to support protesting judges, raising banners expressing their solidarity and warning against attempts to 'Brotherhoodise' Egypt's judiciary.
