Algerian lawyers reach agreement with government to end strike

The lawyers had been striking due to the reshuffling of 3,000 magistrates by the ministry, that the lawyer's union saw as a government attempt to manipulate the country’s judiciary.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

06 November, 2019

Judges that had been boycotting their work in support of the lawyers. [Getty]

After a 12-days on strike, lawyers in Algeria have finally reached an agreement with the ministry of justice on Wednesday and agreed to return to work.

The lawyers had been striking due to the reshuffling of 3,000 magistrates by the ministry, that the National Magistrates' Syndicate (SNM) saw as a strategy by the government to manipulate the country's judiciary.

The justice ministry defended its actions and said the reshuffle of the magistrates was "validated unanimously" by the members of the judicial council.

Minister of Justice Belkacem Zeghmati has now promised not to persecute those who partook in the strike as well as looking into SNM's demands.

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Judges that had been boycotting their work in support of the lawyers are expected to start working following the government's concession on Wednesday.

Judges said they were happy to comply with the mediation efforts that lead to a "fair" and "honourable" outcome, as reported by Algerie1.

Algeria remains wracked by anti-government protests against a planned December presidential election that must be overseen by the judiciary in question.

Algerian activists are demanding sweeping reforms in the oil-rich country before any vote takes place.

They say Bouteflika-era figures still in power must not use the presidential poll as an opportunity to appoint his successor.

But Algeria's electoral committee has registered 22 candidates for the December polls, two of which were former prime ministers who served under Bouteflika.