Egypt's top constitutional court has opened the way for women judges to be appointed to the influential State Council nearly a month after an internal vote on the issue was thrown out.

Last month the general assembly of State Council, the court authorised to settle administrative disputes concerning the exercise of public power, voted by overwhelming majority against appointing women judges to the body.

But on Sunday the top court, following a request for clarification by Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, ruled that the general assembly could not pronounce on the issue which should be decided by its administrative committee instead.

The committee is to review the matter on March 22, a State Council judge who requested anonymity told AFP, describing the court's decision as "wise and good".

Under Egyptian law, the nomination of new judges to the State Council or Maglis al-Dawla is by presidential decree following the approval of candidates by the administrative committee.

The general assembly vote turned the spotlight on a sense of malaise over the appointment of women to top jobs in Egypt.

It was roundly condemned by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), which urged the government to end discrimination against women in judicial positions.

"The continuing discrimination insults the many Egyptian women who are fully qualified to serve as judges," Nadya Khalife, women's rights researcher for the Middle East and North Africa at HRW, said at the time.