An Overview of the Egyptian Judicial System, and its History

Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law

Volumn 5, Issue , 2000, Pages 3-28

  Sheriff, Add Omar ^a  

^a MCGILL UNIVERSITY   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 85180995785     PISSN: 13842935     EISSN: None     Source Type: Book Series    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (29)

1. 1 Some parts of this article are drawn from the author's previously published work on "The origins and developments of the Egyptian judicial system" in Kevin Boyle and Adel Omar Sherif (eds.), Human Rights and Democracy: The Role of the Supreme Constitutional Court ofEgypt, London, Kluwer Law International, 1996, Chapter 2.
2. The distinction between formal and substantive criteria in defining legal acts has been one of the main characteristics of the civil law system. In France, and also in Egypt, it is very common for distinctions within legal acts to be based on either formal or substantive views.
3. 3 During the early stages of history, including the Roman law period, family was not based upon marriage, but upon power. Those who formed the family were all subject to die rights or power of the same family head. See Andrew Stephenson, ^4 History ofRoman Law^ Boston, Litde, Brown, 1912, p. 26.
4. 4 The emperor, or ruler, under Roman law possessed in full that power over the community which belonged to the father in his household. He sat in judgment over all private and criminal processes. Some of his functions, including the judicial function, were delegated to subordinates, but in the last analysis these functions were controlled by him. Stephenson, Roman Law^p. 26.
5. 5 Mahmmoud Salam Zanaty, Moyaz TarekhElQannon ElMasry [A Brief on the History of Egyptian Law] (Cairo, 1986), p. 75.
6. 6 However, it has been historically proven that the pharaoh occasionally delegated his judicial power to either civil or religious judges. Mahmmoud El-Sakka, TarekhElQannon ElMasry [The History of Egyptian Law] Cairo, Dar El Nahda El Arabia, p. 60.
7. 7 For more details on the successive historical periods of Roman law, see Stephenson, Roman Law.
8. Penny Darbyshire, Eddey on The English Legal System^ 5th edn., London, Sweet & Maxwell, 1992, p. 184.
9. 9 Calob Berry Patterson, TheAdministration ofJustice in GreatBritain, Austin, University of Texas, p. 1. Also, see Edward Jenks, The Book ofEnglish Law, Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin, 1929, pp. 12 and 28.
10. For more details, see Omar Sherif, Nozom Elhokm Wa El Edam Fe El Islam [The Systems of Government and Administration in Islam], Cairo, Islamic Studies Institute, 1989.
11. Abd El Hameed Metwaly, Mabadee Nezam Elhokm Fe El Islam [Principles of Government Systems in Islam], Cairo, Dar El Mareef, 1966, p. 633.
12. The Constitution of Egypt, for instance, provides in Art. 3 that the people are the source of the state's powers.
13. 13 Fathy El Marsafawy, TctrekhElQannon ElMasry [The History of Egyptian Law], Cairo, Dar El FekrElAraby,p. 161.
14. 14 Ibrahim Awad, vl/Qadda Fe El Islam [The Judiciary in Islam: Its History and Organization], Cairo, Islamic Research Institute Publications, 1975, p. 101.
15. 15 Adel Omar Sherif, El Qadda El Dostory FeMesr [Constitutional Adjudication in Egypt] Cairo, Dar El Shaab, 1988, p. 52.
16. 16 Omar Sherif, Nozom Elhokm Wa El Edam Fe El Islam, p. 124.
17. Awad, Al Qaddct Fe El Islam, p. 184.
18. Omar Sherif, ElQadda El Dostory FeMesr, p. 52.
19. 19 Omar Sherif, Nozom Elhokm Wa El Edam Fe El Islam^ p. 130.
20. 20 Aziz Khanky, "El Mohamaa" [The Legal Profession], in The Golden Book ofthe National Courts', 2nd edn., Cairo, 1990, p. 386.
21. 21 Fathy Wally, Qannon ElQadda ElMadany [The Civil Judiciary Law], Cairo, Dar El Nahda El Arabia, 1980, p. 220.
22. 22 Mohammed Hamed Fahmy, ElMomfaatElMadania Wa El Togaria [Civil and Commercial Procedures], Cairo, Maktabet El Nasr, 1938, pp. 44, 224.
23. 23 Omar Sherif, ElQadda ElDostory FeMesr, p. 67.
24. 25 Wally, Qannon ElQadda ElMadany, p. 222.
25. 26 Omar Sherif, ElQadda, ElDostory FeMesr, p. 68.
26. According to Art. 68 of the 1971 Constitution, the term "natural judge" means the competent judge over the subject matter of the dispute. The said article states, "The right to litigation is inalienable for all, and every citizen has the right to be referred to his or her natural judge".
27. Dr Awad Mohammed El-Morr, "Human Rights and the Constitutional Systems of Islamic Countries", Cairo University Law Review, Cairo, 1988, p. 7.
28. "The Court of Cassation", in An Outline oftheJudicial System, Cairo, 1972.
29. The rule of the Mohammed Ali family ceased to exist in 1953, upon proclaiming the republic system in the country, which was one of the most significant changes that followed the outbreak of the Egyptian revolution in 1952.