President appoints head of Council of State to the chagrin of judiciary: President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a decree appointing Ahmed Aboul Azm as the head of Maglis Al Dawla (Council of State), according to Ahram Gate. El Sisi is using the powers granted to him through the controversial amendments of the Judicial Authorities Act that was signed into law in April. Maglis Al Dawla had attempted in May to protest the the amendments by presenting just one nominee, Yehia El Dakroury, to become its head, instead of presenting El Sisi a list of three nominees to choose from. El Sisi went against the judges and used a right enshrined by the amendments to pick a chief judge from one of the seven longest-serving deputies to the outgoing head of Maglis Al Dawla.

El Dakroury issued a statement thanking judges for nominating him, saying the act was proof of their independence, Al Masry Al Youm reports. Earlier, judicial sources told Al Shorouk that El Dakroury and other Maglis Al Dawla judges are reportedly looking to take legal action against the decree and plan to petition the Supreme Administrative Court in a bid to repeal Aboul Azm’s appointment.