Tension In Tunisia Over Dissolution Of High Judicial Council

<h4>Tension in Tunisia over dissolution of Judicial Council<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> has gathered that tension is currently brewing in Tunisia over the dissolution of the country’s High Judicial Council<br &sol;>&NewLine;The President of the north Africa country&comma; Kais Saied&comma; had&comma; on Sunday announced his decision to dissolve the High Judicial Council&comma; a body mandated to ensure the proper functioning of justice and independence of the judicial authority&comma; and charged with appointing most judicial positions in the country&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The decision &comma; according to different sources&comma; immediately sparked reactions amongst its citizens&comma; resulting to threats of showdown with the government&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Across the continent&comma; many are wondering why Kais Saied&comma; a retired university professor of constitutional law who was also President of the Tunisian Association of Constitutional Law from <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;vanguardngr&period;com&sol;">1995 to 2019<&sol;a> would embark on such an administrative suicide&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Information has it that the Commission was established in 2016 before President Saied assumed office in October 2019 and was hailed as a major advance in the consolidation of the rule of law&comma; separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary in Tunisia&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;Reacting&comma; the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights&comma; Michelle Bachelet&comma; on Tuesday urged the President to restore the High Judicial Council&comma; warning that its dissolution would seriously undermine the rule of law&comma; the separation of powers and independence of the judiciary in the country&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;Much remains to be done to bring justice sector legislation&comma; procedures and practices in line with applicable international standards – but this has been a big step in the wrong direction&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Bachelet said&period; &&num;8220&semi;The dissolution of the High Judicial Council is in clear violation of Tunisia&&num;8217&semi;s obligations under international human rights law&period;&&num;8221&semi;<br &sol;>&NewLine;The office buildings of the High Judicial Council have been cordoned off by Internal Security Forces and members and staff have been prevented from entering the premises&period; There have also been online hate campaigns and threats against the Council&&num;8217&semi;s members&period; The High Commissioner stressed that all necessary measures must be taken to safeguard the security of members and staff of the Council&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;This is the latest development in a worrying trajectory in the country&period; On 25 July 2021&comma; the President suspended Parliament and assumed all executive functions&period; Since then&comma; there have been increasing attempts to stifle dissent&comma; including through harassment of civil society actors&period;<br &sol;>&NewLine;<strong>Source&colon; APO Group<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;