View source for Ahmed Mekki (politician)

{{Short description|Former Egyptian Minister of Justice}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name           = Ahmed Mekki
|birthname      =
|image          =
|order          =
|office         = Minister of Justice
|primeminister  = [[Hesham Qandil]]
|president      = [[Mohamad Morsi]]
|term_start     = 2 August 2012
|term_end       = 20 April 2013
|predecessor    = [[Adel Abdel Hamid]]
|successor      = Ahmed Sulaiman
|office1        =
|term_start1    =
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|term_start3    =
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|birth_date     = {{birth year and age|1941}}
|birth_place    =
|death_date     =
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|party          = Independent
|otherparty     =
|alma_mater     = [[Alexandria University]]
|religion       =
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}}
'''Ahmed Mekki''' (born 1941) was the [[Minister of Justice]] of [[Egypt]] from 2 August 2012 until he submitted his resignation to President Morsi on 20 April 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=Egyptian justice minister resigns|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-egypt-minister-resignation-idUSBRE93K04Z20130421|agency=Reuters|access-date=21 April 2013}}</ref> He was a member of the [[Qandil Cabinet]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/02/world/africa/egypt-cabinet/|title=Egypt Cabinet ministers sworn in|author=Sarah Sirgany|date=2 August 2012|access-date=2 August 2012|work=CNN}}</ref> Mekki was one of the independent ministers in the cabinet.<ref name=acc/> He is the brother of the former vice president [[Mahmoud Mekki]], who resigned from office on 22 December 2012.<ref name=voa>{{cite news|last=Lipin|first=Michael|title=Egypt Reshuffle Puts New Defense Chief, Vice President in Spotlight|url=http://www.voanews.com/articleprintview/1485598.html|access-date=30 August 2012|work=Voice of America|date=13 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701083506/http://www.voanews.com/articleprintview/1485598.html|archive-date=1 July 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Egyptian VP Mahmoud Mekki resigns amid constitution vote|url=http://www.dw.de/egyptian-vp-mahmoud-mekki-resigns-amid-constitution-vote/a-16475716|access-date=23 December 2012|work=Deutsche Welle|date=22 December 2012}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
Mekki was born in 1941.<ref name=ce>{{cite web|title=Ahmed Mekky |url=http://egyptelections.carnegieendowment.org/2012/09/05/ahmed-mekky |publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace |access-date=8 December 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208183101/http://egyptelections.carnegieendowment.org/2012/09/05/ahmed-mekky |archivedate=8 February 2013 }}</ref> He studied law at [[Alexandria University]] and graduated in 1961.<ref name=ce/>
==Career==
Mekki is the former deputy head of the Court of Cassation, Egypt’s highest appeals court.<ref name=afp>{{cite news|title=Egypt's new government ministers sworn in|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20120802-egypt-new-government-ministers-sworn-in-mohamed-mursi-kandil-mekky|access-date=30 August 2012|work=France 24|date=6 August 2012|agency=AFP}}</ref><ref name=psyn>{{cite web|last=Ashour|first=Omar|title=Egypt’s New Old Government|url=http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/egypt-s-new-old-government-by-omar-ashour|work=Project Syndicate|access-date=30 August 2012|location=Cairo|date=7 August 2012}}</ref> He was also the chairman of the fact-finding Committee in the [[Egyptian Judges Club]].<ref name=acc>{{cite web|title=Egypt's Newly Appointed Cabinet Ministers|url=http://www.usegyptcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/AmCham-Egypt-Newly-Appointed-Cabinet-Ministers.pdf|publisher=American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt|access-date=30 August 2012}}</ref>
On 2 August 2012, he began to serve as minister of justice in the cabinet led by prime minister [[Hesham Qandil]], replacing Adel Abdel Hamid.<ref name=alahram711>{{cite news|title=Meet the ministers: A thumbnail guide|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/28785/Egypt/Politics-/Meet-the-ministers-A-thumbnail-guide-.aspx|access-date=30 August 2012|work=Al Ahram|date=7 December 2011}}</ref> Although Mekki was an independent member of the cabinet, he is close to [[the Muslim Brotherhood]].<ref name=eldin3aug>{{cite news|last=El Din|first=Gamal Essam|title=Egypt PM Qandil makes some surprise, controversial ministerial choices|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentPrint/1/0/49380/Egypt/0/Egypt-PM-Qandil-makes-some-surprise,-controversial.aspx|access-date=7 March 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=3 August 2012}}</ref> Mekki resigned from office on 20 April 2013.<ref name=say21apr>{{cite news|last=Gamaleddine|first=Sayed|title=Egypt's justice minister Ahmed Mekki resigns: Judicial sources|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/69781/Egypt/Politics-/BREAKING-Egypts-justice-minister-Ahmed-Mekki-resig.aspx|access-date=21 April 2013|work=Ahram Online|date=21 April 2013}}</ref> His resignation was due to pressure from both the opposition and Brotherhood supporters.<ref name=aze21apr>{{cite news|last=Azeem|first=Zenobia|title=Brotherhood Demands Judicial Purge in Egypt|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/04/muslim-brotherhood-judiciary-purge-egypt.html|access-date=22 April 2013|work=Al Monitor|date=21 April 2013}}</ref> In a reshuffle of May 2013, Ahmed Sulaiman was appointed minister of justice, succeeding Mekki in the post.<ref name=voa7may>{{cite news|title=Egypt's Morsi Brings More Islamists into Cabinet|url=http://m.voanews.com/a/1656125.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130618030539/http://m.voanews.com/a/1656125.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 June 2013|access-date=16 June 2013|newspaper=Voice of America|date=7 May 2013|agency=Reuters}}</ref><ref name=aahram>{{cite journal|last=El Din|first=Gamal Essam|title=A disappointing reshuffle|journal=Al Ahram Weekly|date=7 May 2013|volume=1152|url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/2510/17/A-disappointing-reshuffle.aspx|access-date=16 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630204305/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/2510/17/A-disappointing-reshuffle.aspx|archive-date=30 June 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Views===
Mekki is a strong supporter of judicial independence.<ref name=psyn/> He was known as "a reformist judge", and "the revolution’s representative" in Qandil’s government.<ref name=psyn/><ref name=ebus5mar>{{cite news|title=Egypt's government: It's time to get to know the ministers |url=http://www.egypt-business.com/paper/details/1231-xg-egypts-government-its-time-to-get-to-know-the-minsiters/6048 |access-date=5 March 2013 |newspaper=Egypt Business |date=5 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113115651/http://www.egypt-business.com/Paper/details/1231-xg-Egypts-government-Its-time-to-get-to-know-the-minsiters/6048 |archivedate=13 November 2012 }}</ref> After his appointment, Mekki argued that Egypt is an Islamic state governed by Islamic traditions.<ref name=mcn>{{cite web|title=Minister of Justice to MCN: It is normal for the ruling systm [sic] and judiciary be influenced by Sharia with no discrimination between Muslims and Copts|url=http://www.mcndirect.com/showsubject.aspx?id=36493#.UD9YkcFgKWY|publisher=MCN|access-date=30 August 2012|location=Cairo|date=12 August 2012}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=33em}}
{{Cabinet Qandil}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mekki, Ahmed}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alexandria University alumni]]
[[Category:Qandil Cabinet]]
[[Category:Justice ministers of Egypt]]