Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki, who submitted his resignation on Sunday, has said he will only continue in his job if he receives official guarantees regarding judicial independence.
Mekki said he would continue working until Friday, during an interview on Hayat 2 TV channel last night.
In his resignation letter, Mekki criticised Muslim Brotherhood-led demonstrations calling for a purge of the judiciary. He also condemned attempts to reduce the judges' retirement age without consultation.
The Shura Council is planning to discuss a new judicial authority law – proposed by the Islamist Wasat Party - which would lower the retirement age of judges and push over 3,000 of them into forced retirement.
"I resign to defend judicial independence. There is no benefit in staying now," he asserted.
"I was provoked by Morsi supporters protesting against the judiciary ... It is wrong to discuss the judicial authority law at the present time," he added.
Mekki said he had not been forced to resign by threats.
"There is no power that can threaten me," he asserted.
In response to allegations of judicial corruption, Mekki said he refers any complaints against judges to investigators. He said he had even referred a complaint against the Supreme Judicial Council to investigators.
Mekki offered his resignation after thousands of Islamist demonstrators protested at the High Court on Friday in rallies called for by the Muslim Brotherhood to demand the "purging of the judiciary."
