Since the beginning of its revolution [JURIST backgrounder], Egypt has been plagued by continuing protests and violence. The Egyptian Shura Council approved a draft election law [JURIST report] in February, paving the way for parliamentary elections to be held in the next few months. The new election law embodies the key changes to five articles [JURIST report] as demanded by Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court earlier that month. Earlier last month the Supreme Constitutional Court postponed ruling [JURIST report] on whether the legislative constitutional assembly that drafted the charter was legitimate. Last month UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay [official profile] voiced concern [JURIST report] over the growing violence and rising death toll in Egypt stemming from ongoing protests throughout the country. Also in January Morsi declared a state of emergency in an attempt to quell growing unrest and protests following an Egyptian court ruling handing down 21 death sentences [JURIST reports] for a 2012 soccer riot that resulted in 74 deaths and thousands of injuries.