Supreme Court of Egypt invalidated the Country's Shura Council

Egypt’s Supreme Court on 2 June 2013 invalidated the Country’s Shura Council and a panel that drafted the country’s constitution. However the court stated that the Shura would only be dissolved after new elections. Shura Council is the upper house of Parliament which was given legislative powers last year after Parliament was dissolved.

The Supreme Constitutional Court stated that the Shura Council is legally invalid since one third of its elected members should have been independents; but the parties fielded their candidates in this category in a clear violation of the electoral law. The apex court ruling however made it clear that the upper house of the parliament won’t be dissolved till the parliament's lower chamber is elected later this year or early next year.

The Islamist dominated Shura Council was given legislative powers in 2012 after the dissolution of the National Assembly. The court ruling is a major setback for the Islamist parties hold on the power in Egypt.