According to the presidency's statement, the draft Criminal Procedure Law was received from the House of Representatives on 26 August 2025, with a request for its promulgation. Since then, numerous appeals have been submitted to the president urging reconsideration of certain provisions within the draft.
The contested articles, the statement explained, concern “considerations of governance, clarity, and practicality,” requiring further review to ensure stronger guarantees for the sanctity of private homes and the rights of defendants before investigation and trial authorities.
This also includes expanding alternatives to pre-trial detention to limit its use, removing any ambiguity in wording that could lead to multiple interpretations or practical problems during application, and ensuring sufficient time for relevant ministries and authorities to implement the new mechanisms and familiarise themselves with their provisions.
Such steps, the statement said, will "ensure their application with precision and ease, leading to swift justice within the framework of the constitution and the law."
President El-Sisi also highlighted the efforts of the parliament in approving the draft law and the new regulations it introduced.
These include procedures for preventing defendants from travelling and placing them on arrival watchlists, financial compensation for pre-trial detention in certain cases, reducing detention periods, procedures for investigation and detention renewal, as well as remote trial through IT tools, witness protection measures, and international judicial cooperation in criminal matters.
The parliament also introduced fundamental amendments to several other articles of the current Criminal Procedure Law, the statement added.
In late April, following three years of preparation and five months of extensive discussions, parliament finally approved the 544-article Criminal Procedures Law. The bill — which sets out the procedures for investigating, prosecuting, and trying criminal cases — received semi-final approval on 24 February.
The law includes six sections which cover criminal prosecution, evidence collection, courts, appeals, enforcement, and international judicial cooperation over criminal matters.
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