Amendments to the "criminal proceedings" in the next session .. And parliamentarians: the crowded agenda postponed

Accidents

– Parliamentarians: The agenda is full of priorities and the time it will take in the discussions of the law why not discussed so far

– Former Vice-President of the Court of Cassation: Amendments are a turning point in the course of justice and should not be rushed to discuss it

Less than a month and ending the current session of the House of Representatives, without discussing the amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, which for several quarters, including Parliament and the judicial system, is important to be completed as soon as possible.

The busy schedule of many priority laws is the reason why some delay the discussion of the bill, while others go to the time the law will take in discussions and the need for the council to complete its work, but in any case, the project To the plenary at the beginning of the next session.

MP Bahaa Abu Shata, Chairman of the Legislative Committee of the Parliament said that the Committee has completed the discussions of the draft law and write a report on it since the last session, but the project needs a period of not less than two months of the session to discuss, adding to the "seventh day," amendments that included the law is large, The draft law is new, and therefore needs a great time to discuss it in the plenary session because of its importance, and the contents of the material related to rights and freedoms, and is in the interest of justice in a nutshell.

Nabil al-Gamal, deputy of the Legislative Committee of the House of Representatives, said that there is no longer a chance to discuss the project during the current session. He is only a few days old. Due to the congestion of laws related to constitutional amendments on the agenda of the Council, Remaining from this session.

He added that the Legislative Committee completed the project and wrote its report on it, and was handed over since 8 March 2018 to the General Secretariat Bureau of the Council.

Al-Jamal pointed out that the legislative committee in the parliament has exerted great efforts in the discussions of the project, giving him sufficient time in discussions, receiving proposals and holding dialogue sessions with specialists, in view of the importance of the law and its association with achieving a speedy justice.

The Legislative Committee, headed by Counsel Bahaa Abu Shata confirmed after discussing the draft law that it made sure that there are unprecedented guarantees for the freedom of citizens in accordance with the constitutional rule that the accused innocent until proven guilty and these guarantees begin – for the first time – since the start of the inferences so that there are guarantees for the accused As well as for the first time organizing the issue of travel ban as a constitutional entitlement in Article 62 of the Constitution which stipulates that Freedom of movement Freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. The Legislative Committee also stressed that in order to achieve justice in a timely manner, absentee sentences have been abolished, whether in felonies or misdemeanors, until the issuance of a final judgment.

For his part, Advisor Ahmed Abdel Rahman, Vice President of the Court of Cassation and member of the Supreme Judicial Council, said that the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code represent an important step and step in the path of speedy justice, as it has been subject to further guarantees of rights and freedoms. Therefore, despite the urgent demands of these amendments, Important and necessary, but we should not rush in the debate.

Abdul Rahman pointed out that the amendments include texts that need to be processed and arranged and need to be ready for the courts, such as order to make the appeal in two degrees, where it requires the preparations of the courts and the existence of sufficient rooms and increase the number of departments to accommodate it.

Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure are described by lawmakers and parliamentarians as amendments in line with the times , Where many systems were developed that needed to be addressed, such as the introduction of the expansion of the judicial reform system and the introduction of controls for the first time to prevent travel, the status of waiting lists, the adoption of two-step litigation and alternatives to precautionary detention and trial for the first time remotely.

It also introduced provisions for the protection of witnesses, informants and protected persons, and provided for the inviolability of homes and their entry, inspection, surveillance or eavesdropping only by judicial order. The accused was also allowed to attend by means of a special power of attorney in the criminal case when the proceedings were returned.

The amendment to the Code of Criminal Procedure was the first in nearly 50 years. The amendment included 270 articles out of 560 total law articles, and 150 articles were replaced and 44 articles were introduced.