According to judicial sources, Egypt’s judiciary has proposed a number of amendments to the penal code, which would make the hearing of defense witnesses optional for judges. The statement came a few hours after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi suggested the need for legislative reform to combat terrorism.
According to the sources, a set of amendments proposed for the criminal procedures law will be submitted to the Cabinet on Wednesday, and referred to the presidency for final approval.
The amendments, the sources told Al-Masry Al-Youm, would see rulings by the Supreme State Security Court approved by the presidency for enforcement without the possibility of appeal.
Rulings in criminal cases can be appealed on the court level, the sources added.
In statements earlier on Tuesday, Sisi said that the legislation needs to be amended in order to ensure faster and more effective justice in the country’s counter-terrorism efforts.
“The hands of justice are shackled by laws that need to be changed in order to cope with developments, in a way that delivers effective justice as fast as possible”, Sisi said while attending the funeral of Prosecutor General Hesham Barakat, who was killed in a car bombing near his residence on Monday.
President Sisi holds legislative powers since his election in 2014, as the country has postponed the holding of elections.
The continued attacks against security forces and judgesare commonly attributed to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, to which Sisi’s overthrown predecessor belongs.
Some observers critical of Sisi’s government had speculated that the assassination of the general prosecutor would pave the way for the government to increase the crackdown on the organization.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
