Egypt's House of Representatives will hold an emergency session today, Wednesday, at the request of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Prior to the session, the legislative committee of the House of Representatives, led by Counselor Hani Hanna Azar, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, held a meeting to discuss postponing the application of the new criminal procedures law, which was set to take effect on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The meeting was attended by Counselor Mohamed Abdel Alim Kefafi, advisor to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and members of the legislative committee. They discussed the draft law before the plenary session. According to Article 6 of the law, it was supposed to come into effect on Thursday, October 1, 2026. However, the committee's discussion focused on potentially postponing its implementation.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi invited the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Counselor Hisham Badawi, to convene for the second ordinary session of the legislative term, starting on Thursday, October 1, 2026. During the opening session, the House of Representatives will also address the reconstitution of the membership of the specialized committees and the re-election of the office holders of 25 specialized committees.
The internal regulations of the House of Representatives outline the controls for membership in the specialized committees. According to Article 39, the Speaker of the House receives nominations for committee membership at the beginning of each ordinary session. The nominations are then coordinated by the office of the House, prioritizing the most senior members and those with expertise in the committee's field of activity.
The internal regulations also require each member to participate in one of the specialized committees. According to Article 40, a member may participate in a second committee with the approval of the House office, but without voting rights or financial benefits for attending meetings. Additionally, the chair or any member of a committee's office cannot be a member of another committee without the approval of the House office.
Article 41 of the regulations states that the House office announces the lists of nominations for committee membership before presenting them to the House. Members can submit proposals or objections in writing to the Speaker for consideration by the office. The Speaker then presents the lists to the House, which approves them without debate, based on the office's review of objections and proposals.
The regulations also outline the election procedures for committee offices. According to Article 42, each committee elects a president, two deputies, and a secretary from among its members by absolute majority. Nominations are submitted in writing to the Speaker during a period determined by the House office, and elections are conducted by secret ballot under the supervision of a committee formed by the House office.
Key points
- The Egyptian House of Representatives will discuss postponing the application of the new criminal procedures law in an emergency session.
- The law was initially set to take effect on October 1, 2026.
- The House of Representatives will also address the reconstitution of specialized committees and election of new office holders.
