Egyptian House of Representatives Speaker, Counselor Hisham Badawi, has called for an extraordinary session to consider an urgent law project requested by over ten members of the council. The session is set to take place on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. According to an official statement from the House of Representatives, the council's inaugural sessions for the second legislative term of the third legislative session are scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 1, 2026.
The emergency session was prompted by a request from the President of the Republic, as per the internal regulations of the council. The session precedes a meeting of the Constitutional and Legislative Committee, which will discuss a project to postpone the implementation of the new Criminal Procedures Law for a period ranging from six months to a year due to the government's unreadiness.
The Criminal Procedures Law, which was set to take effect on October 1, 2026, aims to expand the use of technology in investigation and trial procedures. However, concerns have been raised regarding the readiness of the judiciary to implement the new law. An article published in a local newspaper highlighted the potential challenges, including the lack of preparedness of courts to handle remote trials and electronic notifications.
The newspaper report emphasized that despite the law being ratified and published in the official gazette nearly a year ago, there are still concerns about the availability of necessary infrastructure for its implementation. These concerns include the readiness of courts for remote trials, electronic declarations, and the availability of case files and memos electronically.
In response to these concerns, the House of Representatives will discuss the urgent law project during the extraordinary session. The discussion will focus on the project's implications and potential solutions to address the challenges facing the implementation of the new Criminal Procedures Law.
The readiness of the Egyptian justice system to implement the new law has become a pressing issue. The government and the Ministry of Justice are facing a critical test in ensuring the system's preparedness for the changes introduced by the law. The law's implementation has been a subject of debate, with some arguing that a postponement is necessary due to the system's unreadiness.
The outcome of the extraordinary session and the discussions surrounding the urgent law project will have significant implications for the future of the Egyptian justice system. The session's results will be closely watched, as they will determine the course of action for implementing the new Criminal Procedures Law and addressing the challenges facing the system.
Key points
- The Egyptian House of Representatives will convene an extraordinary session to consider an urgent law project related to the implementation of the new Criminal Procedures Law.
- The session was prompted by concerns over the readiness of the justice system to implement the new law, which aims to expand the use of technology in investigation and trial procedures.
- The implementation of the new law has been a subject of debate, with some arguing that a postponement is necessary due to the system's unreadiness.
