{"id":22604,"date":"2021-05-26T13:56:01","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T11:56:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afteegypt.org\/?p=22604"},"modified":"2024-06-27T12:44:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T09:44:12","slug":"scheduling-the-first-session-of-two-lawsuit-filed-demanding-broadcasting-the-sessions-of-the-house-of-representatives-and-the-senate-on-television-and-digital-platforms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/afteegypt.org\/en\/legal-profiles-en\/legal-news-en\/2021\/05\/26\/22604-afteegypt.html","title":{"rendered":"Administrative Judiciary Court Refuses AFTE\u2019s Lawsuits Demanding Broadcasting The House of Representatives And Senate Sessions"},"content":{"rendered":"

9 June 2024<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Administrative Judiciary Court refused two lawsuits filed by AFTE, demanding broadcasting of the House of Representatives and Senate sessions by various visual, audio, and written means.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In May 2021, the Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression filed two lawsuits based on the Publicity principle stipulated in Article 120 of the Egyptian Constitution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this regard, AFTE affirms the constitutionality of its demands and its firm position regarding the sessions being available to the public. Continued non-broadcasting of the sessions will lead to a lack of citizens\u2019 overview of the legislative authorities and set the citizens apart from the information, data, and statistics discussed in the sessions, which are a right of the citizens. They should have the right to access them with transparency and ease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

10 March 2024<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Administrative Judiciary Court scheduled a sentencing hearing session on the two lawsuits filed by AFTE, demanding broadcasting of the House of Representatives and Senate sessions <\/span>by various visual, audio, and written means, for May 26.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression filed the two lawsuits in May 2021; the lawsuits were based on the Publicity principle stipulated in Article 120 of the Egyptian Constitution. In this regard, AFTE affirms the constitutionality of its demands and its firm position regarding the sessions being available for the public, as continuing not to broadcast the sessions will lead to the lack of citizens\u2019 overview over the legislative authorities and sets the citizens apart from the information, data, and statics discussed in the sessions which are a right of the citizens. They should have the right to access them with transparency and easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

22 October 2023: Administrative Judiciary Court adjourns to examine the two lawsuits demanding broadcasting of the sessions of the House of Representatives and the Senate on February 25\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

On the 4th of June hearing, the Administrative Judiciary Court decided to adjourn the examination hearing of the two lawsuits filed by AFTE, demanding broadcasting of the sessions of <\/span>the House of Representatives<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>the Senate<\/span><\/a> by various visual, audio, and written means, to the following February 25 hearing, for check and reply.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression filed the two lawsuits in May 2021; the lawsuits were based on the Publicity principle stipulated in Article 120 of the Egyptian Constitution. In this regard, AFTE affirms the constitutionality of its demands and its firm position regarding the sessions being available for the public, as continuing not to broadcast the sessions will lead to the lack of citizens\u2019 overview over the legislative authorities and sets the citizens apart from the information, data, and statics discussed in the sessions which are a right of the citizens. They should have the right to access them with transparency and easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4 June 2023\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

On the 4th of June hearing, the Administrative Judiciary Court decided to adjourn the examination hearing of the two lawsuits filed by AFTE, demanding broadcasting of the sessions of <\/span>the house of Representatives<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>the Senate<\/span><\/a> by various visual, audio, and written means, to the following October 22 hearing, For the presence of the representatives of the two councils.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Association of Freedom of Thought and Expression filed the two lawsuits in May 2021; the lawsuits were based on the Publicity principle stipulated in Article 120 of the Egyptian Constitution. In this regard, AFTE affirms the constitutionality of its demands and its firm position regarding the sessions being available for the public, as continuing not to broadcast the sessions will lead to the lack of citizens\u2019 overview over the legislative authorities and sets the citizens apart from the information, data, and statics discussed in the sessions which are a right of the citizens. They should have the right to access them with transparency and easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

23 October 2022 “Administrative Judiciary Court to examine the two lawsuits demanding broadcasting the sessions of the house of representatives and the Senate on December 25”\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

On October 23, the Administrative Judiciary Court decided to adjourn the examination hearing of the two lawsuits filed by AFTE, against the House of Representatives and the Senate speakers in their capacity demanding broadcasting the sessions of the house of representatives and the Senate to next December 25 for pleading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AFTE\u2019s defense requested the court to obtain a certificate from the official gazette to indicate if the sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives are published in the Official Gazette; however, the court did not consider this request.<\/span><\/p>\n

AFTE filed the two lawsuits in May 2021; the first lawsuit filed against the speaker of the House of Representatives carried No. 46322 of 75, while the second, filed against the speaker of the Senate, carried No. 46319 of 75, AFTE sees that making the sessions of the House of Representatives and the Senate available would guarantee public oversight over MPs and enhance citizens\u2019 political participation, as voting in parliamentary elections is usually based on knowledge of the MPs\u2019 performance and the different positions of political parties.<\/span><\/p>\n

13 August 2022<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On August 13, the Administrative Judiciary Court decided to adjourn the examination hearing of the two lawsuits filed by AFTE demanding broadcasting the sessions of the house of representatives and the Senate to next October 23 for pleading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AFTE filed the two lawsuits in May 2021 against the House of Representatives and the Senate speakers in their capacity, Challenging the negative decision not to broadcast the parliamentary sessions on television and digital platforms via the parliamentary websites and social media accounts and refraining from archiving the transcripts of the sessions or publishing them in the Official Gazette,\u00a0 as per Article 120 of the Constitution which states that the council\u2019s sessions shall be held in public in a manner that enables the masses of citizens to access them in various forms Audible, visual, and readable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Last July, the Administrative Court referred the two lawsuits to be examined before the State Commissioners Authority to prepare a report of its legal opinion; the Commissioners\u2019 report was issued in June of this year, accepting the lawsuits in form and rejecting their merits, as the appealed decision is one of the administrative decisions of the House of Representatives; thus it\u2019s not justiciable, and that the law stipulates the publicity of the council\u2019s sessions, but it does not specify a specific way to achieve this publicity, the State Commissioners Authority believes that publishing some extracts from what happened in the sessions, whether via the press or social media achieves the principle of publicity, and there is no constitutional obligation for the House of Representatives to air their session on TV, and that the council has the right to choose the appropriate means for it to achieve publicity.<\/span><\/p>\n

8 June 2022 “Administrative Judiciary Court to examine the two lawsuits demanding broadcasting the sessions of the house of representatives and the Senate on next August 13”\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the Administrative Judiciary Court set next August 13 as a date to examine the two lawsuits filed by AFTE demanding broadcasting the sessions of the house of representatives and the Senate. After the State Commissioners\u2019 Authority filed its a report with its legal opinion regarding the two lawsuits.<\/p>\n

AFTE filed the two lawsuits in May 2021, Challenging the negative decision not to broadcast the parliamentary sessions on television and digital platforms and refraining from archiving the transcripts of the sessions or publishing them in the Official Gazette or digitally. The first lawsuit filed against the speaker of the House of Representatives carried No. 46322 of 75, while the second, filed against the speaker of the Senate, carried No. 46319 of 75.<\/p>\n

AFTE sees that making the sessions of the House of Representatives and the Senate available would guarantee public oversight over MPs and enhance citizens\u2019 political participation, as voting in parliamentary elections is usually based on knowledge of the MPs\u2019 performance and the different positions of political parties.<\/p>\n

2 January 2022\u00a0 State Commissioners Authority schedules the two lawsuits demanding broadcasting the sessions of the house of representatives and the Senate for legal opinion <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

report
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday, the State Commissioners Authority (Second Circuit) of the Administrative Judiciary Court decided to schedule the hearing session of the two lawsuits filed by AFTE\u2019s lawyers against the House of Representatives and the Senate speakers. To prepare a legal opinion report.<\/p>\n

AFTE filed the two lawsuits last May, before the Administrative Judiciary Court, Challenging the negative decision not to broadcast the parliamentary sessions on television and digital platforms and refraining from archiving the transcripts of the sessions or publishing them in the Official Gazette or digitally. The first lawsuit filed against the speaker of the House of Representatives carried No. 46322 of 75, while the second, filed against the speaker of the Senate, carried No. 46319 of 75.<\/p>\n

The State Commissioners Authority is part of the judicial section of the Egyptian State Council; its competence includes expressing an impartial legal opinion in administrative cases and appeals before the Administrative Judiciary Court in which judgments are not justified until after the State Commissioners Authority prepares it and submits a report on the legal opinion, knowing that its opinion is not binding on the court, so it may take it or ignore it.<\/p>\n

7 November 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday, The State delegated Authority (The Second Circuit) at The State Council adjourned the hearing session of the two lawsuits filed by AFTE’s lawyers last May against the House of Representatives and the Senate speakers, Challenging the negative decision not to broadcast the parliamentary sessions on television and digital platforms and refraining from archiving the transcripts of the sessions or publishing them in the Official Gazette or digitally, to January 2, 2022, to submit documents by the State’s Attorney.<\/p>\n

AFTE lawyers submitted a memorandum of defense to the State’s Attorney pleas, which included the following:<\/p>\n