Manama: Kuwait's Court of Appeals said that the government's decision to increase the price of petrol was legal and in line with the constitution.
The ruling on Sunday overturned a verdict by a lower court that said the government breached the constitution by deciding on August 1 to increase prices by up to 81 per cent, starting September 1.
Two separate cases against the increase were filed by Kuwaiti lawyers who argued that the increase needed to be approved by the Supreme Petroleum Council, the highest oil decision-making entity in Kuwait.
A court on September 28 accepted the challenges and ruled that the increase was unconstitutional.
However, the ruling was challenged by the government and the case was referred to the Court of Appeals.
According to Kuwaiti daily Al Seyassah, the lawyers who filed the case against the increase will now take it to the Cassation Court, Kuwait's highest court, for a final verdict.
"All measures taken are wrong and we look forward to the Cassation Court ruling that increasing the price of oil was not in line with the constitution," Ali Al Ali, one of the lawyers, said.
Nawaf Al Fazie, another lawyer, said that they had a solid case.
"We built our case on the basis that the government needed the approval of the Council before deciding to increase the price of petrol. This was also the view of the court of first instance. The lawyer for the government argued that the government did not need this approval for such a decision, and the Court of Appeals sided with them."
Several lawmakers had campaigned for the parliamentary elections on October 28 on a platform that would make the government reverse its decision to increase prices.
