Cairo — Protests by Islamists allied to President Mohamed Morsi forced Egypt's highest court to adjourn its work indefinitely on Sunday, intensifying a conflict between some of the country's top judges and the head of state.

The court protested "psychological and physical pressures" after supporters of the Islamist president prevented judges from entering the courthouse Sunday to rule on the legitimacy of a disputed constitutional assembly.

The Supreme Constitutional Court said it would not convene until its judges could operate without pressure.

The decision by the Supreme Court is the latest twist in a worsening political crisis pitting President Mohammed Morsi and his allies against the mostly secular opposition and the powerful judiciary.

The standoff began when Morsi issued decrees on Nov. 22 that gave him sweeping powers and granted the president -- and the constitutional committee - immunity from the courts.