This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, Algerian judges resumed work in Sidi M'hamed court, the main jurisdiction in Algiers, following a 10-day strike that had paralyzed the judicial system.
The strike, which began on October 27, was sparked by a massive reshuffle affecting 3,000 judges and prosecutors, with the National Magistrates' Syndicate (SNM) decrying the transfers as a 'stranglehold by the executive over the power of the judiciary.'
However, the SNM announced an agreement with the ministry on Tuesday, allowing judges to challenge their transfers by filing appeals to the Supreme Judicial Council and setting up a workshop to 'enrich' legislation on judicial independence.
Despite the agreement, lawyers in Sidi M'hamed expressed disappointment, with one alleging that judges had been swayed by a promise of 'huge wage increases.'
'They have sacrificed the independence' of the judiciary, the lawyer added, on condition of anonymity.
Algeria has been rocked by anti-government protests since February, with demonstrators demanding sweeping reforms and rejecting a December poll to select President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's successor.
