Egypt names first-ever Christian head of country's top court

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el Sisi has sworn in the first-ever Coptic Christian to head the country’s highest court. The swearing-in took place on February 9.

The president chose Judge Boulos Fahmy from among the court's five oldest of 15 sitting judges, as is prescribed by law.

Fahmy is the 19th person to preside over the Supreme Constitutional Court since it was established in 1969.

The 65-year-old judge has headed the court’s General Secretariat since 2014. His appointment as chief judge has been welcomed by many in the Muslim majority country, according to TRT World.

Moushira Khattab, head of the government-appointed National Council for Human Rights, hailed the decision as “historic” and “a giant move” in the field of political and civil rights.

However, some in the Christian community are not impressed.  In a Facebook post, Ishak Ibrahim, a prominent expert on Christian affairs in Egypt, said that the move would have' little impact' on ending discrimination against Christians. They are vastly underrepresented in Egypt's state institutions.

“It will not have a significant impact on eliminating discrimination and ensuring the opportunity for all citizens with justice and equality,” he said.

“We’ll be able to say there’s a significant improvement when we find the percentage (of Christians holding posts) has moved from around 2 percent to a percentage close to their numerical one,” he added.

Christians make up almost 10 percent of Egypt’s population of more than 102 million.

Meeting with Fahmy, Sisi expressed his deep appreciation for the important role of the Supreme Constitutional Court, which represents an important part of the history of the Egyptian judiciary, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said.

Sisi expressed his sincere wishes to the new president of the Supreme Constitutional Court for success in his dedication and responsibility to support justice and implement the law, Radi said.

Egyptian media generally report that President Sisi, who took office in 2014, is seen as a 'protector' by Christians.

He usually attends Orthodox Christmas Mass as a show of solidarity with Copts.

He has also taken steps to empower Christians, including the appointment of the first-ever Coptic Christian woman as provincial governor in 2018.

He also allowed the building of churches across the country after decades of restrictions.

Who is judge Boulos Fahmy?

The 65-year-old Boulos Fahmy is the fourth oldest judge of the Supreme court. He was born on January 1, 1957.

He was appointed to the Public Prosecution in 1978 and assumed many senior positions until he became an advisor to the Cairo of Appeal Court in 1997.

He was Undersecretary of the Judicial Inspection at the Public Prosecution in 1998, the First Undersecretary of the Judicial Inspection in 2001, and then the Technical Adviser to the Minister of Justice in 2006.

He also served as Assistant Minister of Justice for Administrative and Financial Development Affairs and Judicial Claims in 2007, the Head of the South Cairo and Helwan Primary Courts in 2013, and the supervisor on the General Secretariat of the Supreme Constitutional Court to date in 2014.

He was appointed as Vice-President of the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2010 and re-appointed as Vice-President of the Supreme Constitutional Court in 2014.

He also has many books and research and previously worked as a technical advisor to the Minister of Justice, assistant to the minister for financial and administrative development affairs, and president of the South Cairo and Helwan Primary Courts.

In the Supreme Constitutional Court, he participated in the issuance of many historical rulings and has also supervised the General Secretariat of the Court since October 2014.