Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has returned a long-awaited overhaul of the country’s criminal procedure law to parliament for further review, citing objections to several provisions.
The law, finally approved by parliament on August 26, has been under discussion since late last year. It had been hailed by state officials as the most comprehensive reform of the penal code since 1950, but faced widespread calls for reconsideration from human rights activists.
Groups, including the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, have long said that the law needs a review, criticising the use of pretrial detentions and broader judicial infractions against defendants as dangerous precedents.
A UN committee on torture issued a May report criticising the law and citing “systematic overuse of prolonged pretrial detention in politically sensitive cases” and the “selective application of presidential pardons and conditional releases”.
In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the Egyptian presidency said it received many objections to articles of the new law, primarily concerning issues of governance, clarity and practicality.
The draft submitted for ratification to the president required further study to ensure stronger protections for “the sanctity of private homes” and the “rights of defendants during investigations and trials”, the presidency said.
The revisions must also focus on expanding alternatives to pretrial detention, a contentious issue that has long drawn criticism from rights advocates, it added.
The presidency highlighted the need to address ambiguities in the text to avoid misinterpretation and implementation problems. It also stressed the importance of granting ministries and relevant institutions sufficient time to adapt to the law’s new mechanisms and provisions, ensuring smooth application.
The criminal procedure law, which governs investigations, prosecutions and trials, serves as a cornerstone of the country's justice system. The proposed amendments, once finalised, are expected to have far-reaching implications for millions of Egyptians.
Parliament is now tasked with addressing the presidency’s objections and refining the law before resubmitting it for ratification.
While returning the draft legislation to parliament, Mr El Sisi praised lawmakers for their efforts in drafting the amendments.
These included procedures for restricting suspects’ travel and placing them on national watch lists. Additionally, financial compensation for individuals subjected to pretrial detention in certain cases, and the reduction of maximum detention periods were two additions by the assembly praised by the president. Other new provisions include enhanced protections for witnesses and mechanisms to improve international judicial co-operation.
The presidency acknowledged that the amendments address key gaps in the existing law and included substantial reforms to long-standing procedures. However, it emphasised the need for revisions to ensure that the final legislation aligns with constitutional principles and upholds the country’s commitment to fair and efficient justice.
The draft law had been the subject of months of debate in parliament and was closely watched by legal experts and human rights advocates.
While some hailed the amendments as a step forward in modernising Egypt’s justice system, others criticised provisions that, they argued, could infringe on individual rights or expand the powers of law enforcement without adequate oversight.
Perhaps the most contentious articles are ones that would allow authorities to surveil online communications and electronic devices in cases involving crimes punishable by more than three months in prison.
Prosecutors would also be allowed to listen to and record private conversations – whether they are voice or video calls; inspect downloads, app store purchases and chat histories; and confiscate letters, parcels, newspapers and publications received by suspects. The courts would also be able to issue surveillance permission for a period not exceeding 30 days, although this could be renewed indefinitely.
The decision to return the legislation to parliament marks a significant development in the continuing effort to reform Egypt’s legal system and a rare move by an Egyptian president.
It also follows an order by Mr El Sisi to officials last week to study the possibility of pardons for Egyptian-British activist and blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah and six other convicts.
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
How to get there
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
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Series info
Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday
ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23
T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29
Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com
Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.
Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The specs
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
