Tunisia's President Kais Saied established a "temporary" council of judges to replace the independent watchdog he abolished weeks ago.

At the time, Saied issued a decree to "put an end to the grants and privileges" of the members of the Supreme Judicial Council.

The Tunisian Presidency statement affirmed that Saied signed a decree in relation to the amendment of the basic law of the Supreme Judicial Council and stipulated an end to the grants and privileges granted to its members.

It is worth mentioning that the Supreme Judicial Council was established in 2016 as an independent and constitutional body. Its responsibilities include protecting the judiciary's independence, disciplining judges, and promoting them professionally.

On Monday, members of the new Temporary Supreme Judicial Council, selected by Saied, were sworn in at the presidential palace in Tunis in what the President described as a "historic moment".

Furthermore, he added that “this marks the true independence of the judiciary”, promising to "wage a relentless war against the corrupt and those who wanted to infiltrate the courts."

The Tunisian President has repeatedly denounced the judiciary for taking too long to rule most notably in cases of corruption and terrorism.

He also dismissed the government and suspended parliament in July, a move denounced by his political opponents as a coup.