Egyptian lawyers protest outside a court in New Cairo. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Lawyers Syndicate Facebook page.
The decision was met with widespread anger from the legal community, prompting lawyers from the general and subordinate bar associations to stage half-hour sit-ins before their syndicate offices to denounce the fees and call for their immediate cancellation.
The Lawyers Syndicate had earlier called on its members in all governorates to participate in the protests as an initial step in a broader plan to oppose the new charges.
The second phase of escalation will begin on Tuesday and span three days.
Meanwhile, lawyers will completely refrain from submitting any financial payments to the treasuries of the Courts of Appeal and their affiliated branches.
The controversy began in early March when the Cairo Court of Appeal introduced a new "file review fee," set at EGP 33 per document.
The legal community condemned the measure as a violation of the constitutional right to litigation and a burden on lawyers and citizens.
According to lawyers, the decision significantly raised the cost of other services, such as certificate issuance, which now stands at EGP 60.5, and obtaining enforceable copies of verdicts, which has climbed to EGP 242.
The protest decision followed a meeting last week between the head of the Lawyers Syndicate, members of the General Syndicate Council, and heads of regional syndicates.
Last Tuesday, President of the Lawyers Syndicate Abdel-Halim Allam met with the General Syndicate Council members and heads of regional bar associations to discuss the Courts of Appeal Council's controversial decision to impose fees under the pretext of "digitized services."
The meeting concluded with a unanimous agreement to launch a phased escalation plan, starting with a half-hour protest outside the courts on Sunday, 13 April 2025, beginning at 12:30pm. The event was organized under the supervision of local bar councils.
From 15 to 17 April, lawyers will refrain from submitting financial transactions to treasuries at appeal courts and their branches.
The syndicate called on all members to schedule appeal filings outside the protest period to protect litigants' rights.
Local bar councils have been instructed to implement the decision and notify the General Syndicate of any violations to enforce the Law of Advocacy.
The syndicate announced plans to formally communicate with all relevant executive and parliamentary bodies to raise awareness regarding the crisis' constitutional and societal dimensions and its impact on the right to litigation and social stability.
It also reiterated the state’s constitutional obligation to ensure access to justice by covering the costs of judicial services, especially to protect the rights of low-income citizens and promote societal stability.
Furthermore, the syndicate banned the publication of any content on social media or other platforms that contradicts the official statement issued following the meeting.
Starting early Sunday, dozens of lawyers gathered daily for half an hour outside the South Cairo Primary Court in protest, holding banners with slogans like “Lawyers want law, not directives” and “Your instructions, Mr. Judge, do not apply to us.”
Similar scenes occurred outside courts in Giza, Alexandria, Port Said, Luxor, Qalyubia, Assiut, Sohag, and Kafr El-Sheikh on Sunday and Monday.
The Courts of Appeal Council and the Ministry of Justice have not yet reacted or commented on the move.
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