Egypt's High Constitutional Court has ruled unconstitutional an article regulating the election of independent MPs to the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament.

Two thirds of the council's elected members were elected from party lists; the remaining third of elected members were independent.

According to the ruling, the Shura Council will be dissolved after a new House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, is formed.

Article 230 of the constitution states that the Shura Council cannot be dissolved until the House of Representatives convenes. 

The court also ruled that the law governing the composition of the Constituent Assembly, the body tasked with drafting Egypt's new constitution, is unconstitutional.

The case examining the constitutionality of the Constituent Assembly was initially referred to the High Constitutional Court by the Administrative Court; now that the High Constitutional Court has issued its ruling, the Administrative Court will decide the fate of the constitution.