A leading legal rights organization on Tuesday called on President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to withhold approval of Egypt’s newly passed criminal procedure law, warning that the legislation risks violating constitutional guarantees and undermining the justice system.
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) criticized the House of Representatives for approving the bill on Monday, calling it “a legislative catastrophe.” The group urged the president to delay its publication in the official gazette and reopen public consultations to avoid what it described as “constitutional and legal flaws.”
“The approval of this law in its current form is a blow to justice in Egypt,” the center said in a statement issued hours after the vote. It condemned amendments to 17 articles, saying the revised text strips citizens of their constitutional rights to a fair trial, beginning from arrest through investigation and appeals.
The group also flagged the law’s failure to ensure basic safeguards in searches, surveillance, and the interception of private communications, arguing that the bill conflicts with international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and United Nations principles on judicial independence and legal defense.
“This law contradicts all international conventions requiring fair trial standards, including the right to legal counsel from the moment of arrest and protection from harassment,” the group said.
The legislation, which faced criticism from human rights lawyers and Egypt’s Journalists Syndicate prior to its approval, has sparked opposition over provisions enabling remote trials, electronic bracelets as alternatives to pretrial detention, and limitations on challenging verdicts. Critics also objected to provisions allowing citizens to file criminal cases against public officials and the imposition of fines on secondary appeals.
During parliamentary discussions, multiple objections were raised but ultimately dismissed, according to observers. Civil society groups, including the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, have previously organized press conferences decrying the bill’s potential to destabilize Egypt’s justice system.
