As the date approaches for the application of the Criminal Procedures Law No. 174 of 2025, scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2027 pursuant to Article 6 of its promulgating provisions, debate and disagreement have once again intensified over a number of its provisions, particularly those introducing new measures and powers. These include travel-ban orders, expanded powers for the General Prosecution, provisions concerning the right to defence and safeguards for defendants, remote trials, and other provisions of the law. These issues have been the subject of criticism and calls for amendment by civil society organisations, law professors, relevant United Nations committees and the Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council.
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJP) considers that the legislative impact of this law and the consequences of its application are potentially so serious that they may prove difficult to remedy or assess in the near term. At its core, the disagreement over the law’s provisions concerns the procedural safeguards that must be in place to ensure the proper administration of justice, rather than undermine it, in accordance with the Egyptian Constitution and the relevant international conventions to which Egypt is a party. The Constitution accords these conventions a special status and guarantees their implementation and observance, as provided for in Article 93 thereof.
