Egypt’s Lawyers Syndicate announced a nationwide two-day strike for July 7 and 8, escalating its months-long opposition to court-imposed “automation” fees.
The syndicate is directing all lawyers to abstain from appearing before courts and prosecution offices and to halt any payments to court treasuries during the strike period.
The action follows a joint meeting of the syndicate’s General Council and the heads of local chapters on Wednesday. A national survey conducted by the syndicate showed strong support for the strike: of 36,184 lawyers who responded, 21,231 were in favor, with only 1,486 opposed according to syndicate board member Rabie El-Malwany.
The Lawyers Syndicate announced Wednesday that the meeting, chaired by Syndicate head Abdel Halim Allam, approved a general abstention from appearing before all types and levels of courts, attending public prosecutors’ offices, and dealing with court treasuries on July 7 and 8. The Syndicate council will establish the necessary implementation mechanisms.
Syndicate chapters nationwide will communicate with their general assemblies at partial (first-instance) courts in preparation for the strike. Additionally, Allam will undertake the necessary legal procedures to notify all relevant authorities of the strike dates, ensuring legal compliance and preserving litigants’ rights.
Automation fee crisis deepens
The dispute began in March when Mohamed Nasr Sayed, president of the Cairo Court of Appeals, issued a directive imposing a 33-pound “portfolio review fee” for every legal document filed. Other new charges included 60.50 pounds for certificates and 242 pounds for enforceable court verdicts.
The Lawyers Syndicate immediately rejected the decision, arguing it violated constitutional protections against imposing fees or taxes without proper legislation. On March 8, the General Assembly formally condemned the changes and threatened to suspend all dealings with court treasuries nationwide.
In a statement, the council warned that the new charges “pose serious threats to the constitutionally guaranteed right to litigation.” They also criticized the judiciary for bypassing the syndicate in the decision-making process. “The lawyer is a constitutional partner of the judicial authority and carries a public duty,” the statement said.
In a further escalation, the syndicate had called for a General Assembly on June 21 to decide on next steps, including the possibility of a general strike. However, an administrative court annulled the assembly before it could convene. Allam later defended the process, insisting all legal and procedural requirements had been met.
In a related development, the Wednesday meeting unanimously approved raising the maximum pension to 4,000 Egyptian pounds ($80) per month. This will be calculated at a rate of 100 pounds for each year of actual professional practice, up to a maximum of 40 years. The minimum pension was set at 2,000 pounds per month, with implementation scheduled for 2026.
Additionally, an annual 5% increase for all pensions was approved, subject to the recommendation of actuarial experts.
