Egypt top court freezes Mursi decree after parliament meets

Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court issued the ruling suspending President Mursi's Sunday decree reinstating the People's Assembly, the lower house of Egypt's parliament.

The court ordered that its previous ruling be implemented.

The ruling came just hours after the parliament met for a session that lasted just 12 minutes in line with a presidential decree, in spite of cautious warnings from both the constitutional court as well as the military council.

The speaker, however, resisted from sending out brazen warring signals and said legislators were not trying to contradict the judiciary.

The parliament session opened this morning, with Speaker Saad al-Katatni arguing that President Mohamed Mursi had not violated the court order by reinstating parliament.

Al-Katatni declared he will refer the decision of the High Constitutional Court (HCC) to the Appeals Court, and said the parliament is aware of both its rights and responsibilities.

However, lawmakers from several liberal and leftists parties 'boycotted' the session, with some describing President Mursi's move as a "constitutional coup".

Al-Katatni said he desired to clearly stress that the aim of the restored house was not to challenge the Constitutional Court as the house "respects the law and judicial rulings".

"We are not contradicting the ruling, but looking at a mechanism for the implementation of the ruling of the respected court," he said in a brief statement, aired live on television.

Last month, the constitutional court had ruled that election to one third of the seats of the parliament was invalid and hence the make of the entire house, following which the military disbanded the house. MORE