The Struggle for Constitutional Power: Law, Politics, and Economic Development in Egypt

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Cambridge University Press, Jun 11, 2007 - Law
For nearly three decades, scholars and policymakers have placed considerable stock in judicial reform as a panacea for the political and economic turmoil plaguing developing countries. Courts are charged with spurring economic development, safeguarding human rights, and even facilitating transitions to democracy. How realistic are these expectations, and in what political contexts can judicial reforms deliver their expected benefits? This book addresses these issues through an examination of the politics of the Egyptian Supreme Constitutional Court, the most important experiment in constitutionalism in the Arab world. The Egyptian regime established a surprisingly independent constitutional court to address a series of economic and administrative pathologies that lie at the heart of authoritarian political systems. Although the Court helped the regime to institutionalize state functions and attract investment, it simultaneously opened new avenues through which rights advocates and opposition parties could challenge the regime. The book challenges conventional wisdom and provides insights into perennial questions concerning the barriers to institutional development, economic growth, and democracy in the developing world.
 

Contents

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Page 7 - Article 63. At the inaugural meeting of the ordinary session of the National Assembly, the President of the Republic shall give a statement of the general policy of the State. He may also give other statements on public matters which he deems necessary to communicate to the National Assembly. Article...
Page 6 - The number of elected members and the conditions of membership are determined by the law. The method and the rules of the election are defined by the law. The President of the Republic may appoint a number of members not exceeding ten. One half of the members of the Assembly at least must be of workers and farmers.
Page 5 - In the case of the President's resignation, permanent disability or death, the First Vice-President temporarily assumes the Presidency. The National Assembly then proclaims, by a two-thirds majority vote, the vacancy of the office of President. The President is chosen within a maximum period of sixty days from- the date- of- the vacancy of the presidential office.

About the author (2007)

Tamir Moustafa is Associate Professor of International Studies and Jarislowsky Chair in Religion and Cultural Change at Simon Fraser University. His research stands at the intersection of comparative law and courts, religion and politics,and state-society relations, all with a regional focus on the Middle East. He was the recipient of the Edward S. Corwin Award for the Best Dissertation in Public Law from the American Political Science Association (2004) and the Best Dissertation Award from the Western Political Science Association (2004).

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