Rule of Law Quick Scan Eqypt: Prospects and Challenges

This document is part of HiiL’s Rule of Law Quick Scan Series. Each Quick Scan provides a brief overview of the status of rule of law in a country. The following research examines the legal system in Eqypt.

With the fall of the Mubarak government in February 2011, Egyptians have a historic opportunity to rebuild their legal and political system from the ground up. Egyptians will elect a new government and draft a new constitution that will go before voters in a national referendum. Myriad other laws and legal institutions will be reshaped over the next several years; indeed they are already being rewritten.The moment is appropriate, therefore, to take stock of the positive trends and challenges in strengthening the rule of law in Egypt. With a population of 83 million, Egypt is by far the most populous country in the Arab World and arguably the most important in terms of regional politics, commerce, and security. This fact alone makes Egypt worthy of our sustained attention. But in the area of law and legal institutions, in particular, Egypt has served as a model of sorts. Egyptian legal professionals work throughout the Arab World and a number of Arab countries that have mimicked Egyptian legal institutions and practices. As a result of this influence, prospects for the rule of law in Egypt have regional and not only domestic implications.

The Hague Institute for the Internationalisation of Law (HiiL) 2012

HiiL is an independent research and advisory institute devoted to promoting a deeper understanding and more transparent and effective implementation of justice and the rule of law, worldwide.