Parliament approves amendments to Judicial Authority, Emergency Laws

CAIRO – 26 April 2017: Egypt’s parliament finally approved a number of draft laws, including a controversial bill concerning

judicial authority

during a plenary session on Wednesday.

The bill has created uproar between judges and lawmakers, as it is criticized of
granting the President authority to appoint judicial posts.

A draft law to amend the Emergency Law also passed to the State Council for legal review after two-thirds of the members of the Parliament voted Wednesday in favor of it.

Member of Parliament Tharwat Bekhit introduced new amendments to the Emergency Law No. 162 of 1958. According to the amendments, suspects can be detained as per a public prosecution order for one month if found threatening to public security.

The amendments were proposed following the deadly attacks that targeted two churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday, leaving at least 45 killed. The Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for both attacks that targeted Sunday St. George’s Church (Mar Girgis) in Tanta, north of Cairo, and St. Mark’s Cathedral in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi declared a three-month state of emergency after the attacks.

During the same session, the parliament also approved amendments to criminal procedure code.