     Egypt’s judiciary has been especially difficult. In spring
a court disqualified the Brotherhood-dominated parliament’s
first choice of a constituent assembly, a body charged with
drafting a new constitution. Only days before Mr Morsi’s
inauguration, the most senior constitutional court infuriated
the Brotherhood by ruling, on a technicality, to disband the
parliament itself. Egypt’s judges united in October to block Mr
Morsi from firing the public prosecutor, a powerful Mubarak-era
appointee who had failed to fulfil popular demands for
“revolutionary” justice.  Mr Morsi hoped, by issuing his
commands, to sweep all these challenges aside at once. There was
little protest at some parts of the decree, such as the second
attempt to sack the public prosecutor and to allow for retrials
of former regime henchmen. But Mr Morsi had promised to make
light use of the legislative powers that he wields in the
absence of a parliament. Instead, with no public discussion and
scant advice from his own aides, the presiden