On 14 June 2012, the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt ruled that the election was unconstitutional, and one third of the winners were illegitimate. The ruling was due, in part, to the fact that some seats were contested on a proportional list system, while others were contested on the first-past-the-post system. As a result, the court concluded, the election law had allowed political parties to compete for seats intended for independent candidates.
"The makeup of the entire chamber is illegal and, consequently, it does not legally stand", explained the court. The ruling upheld a lower court decision, which had found the election law unconstitutional. The Muslim Brotherhood held the majority of the seats ruled unconstitutional.
In a separate ruling issued at the same time, the court threw out the Political Exclusion Law, which banned former members of President Hosni Mubarak's regime from running for office. The court concluded the law was not based on "objective grounds", and violated "the principle of equality". The court judges had all been appointed by Mubarak.
The ruling raised fears (in some) of the military trying to increase its power. The Muslim Brotherhood's popularity had decreased since the election, so new elections could result in a decrease of their seats in parliament. The dissolution of parliament creates the possibility of the panel to be tasked with writing a new constitution being appointed by the military.
A politician from the Freedom and Justice party predicted the ruling would send the country into a "dark tunnel". Other observers called the move a coup attempt and "a complete disregard for the free will of voters". In contrast, Ahmed Shafiq, who served as Prime Minister under Mubarak, called the ruling a "historic ... verdict that meant there was no way for anyone to do particular laws for particular people".
Angry protestors gathered outside the court building after the decision. Police in riot gear guarded the building.
