Egypt Laws Information
Egypt laws sit within the civil-law tradition and have served as the model on which most modern Arab civil-law systems were built. The Egyptian Civil Code, drafted in the mid-twentieth century by Abd El-Razzak El-Sanhuri, integrated French civil-law structure with Islamic jurisprudential principles and pre-existing local doctrine to produce a code that has been adopted, adapted, and emulated across the region.
Constitutional framework
The Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt establishes a semi-presidential republic, defines the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, and the House of Representatives, and recognises Islam as the religion of the State and the principles of Islamic Shari'a as the principal source of legislation. Fundamental rights include equality before the law, personal liberty, freedom of belief, freedom of expression, freedom of association, and protection of private property.
Sources of law
The Civil Code identifies the hierarchy of sources: statute, then custom, then Islamic Shari'a, then the rules of natural justice and the dictates of equity. Subordinate legislation — presidential decrees, prime-ministerial decrees, and ministerial decrees — supplies regulatory detail. Court of Cassation decisions guide lower-court reasoning.
Court structure
The ordinary judiciary comprises courts of first instance, courts of appeal, and the Court of Cassation, which sits in civil, commercial, criminal, labour, and personal-status chambers. Administrative justice is delivered by the Council of State (Conseil d'État). The Supreme Constitutional Court reviews the constitutionality of legislation. Specialised economic courts hear designated commercial and economic-crime matters.
Civil and commercial law
The Egyptian Civil Code governs obligations, contracts, property, and tort. It is widely studied as the foundational Arab civil-law text and remains the model for civil-law drafting across the region. The Commercial Code addresses merchant status, commercial paper, agency, distribution, and bankruptcy. The Companies Law and dedicated statutes on banking, capital markets, insurance, and competition regulate the modern commercial environment.
Banking and finance
Banking activity is supervised by the Central Bank of Egypt under the Banking Law. The framework accommodates conventional and Islamic banking, with separate licensing and Shari'a-governance requirements for Islamic finance institutions. The Financial Regulatory Authority supervises non-bank financial activities including capital markets, insurance, and leasing.
Labour and employment
The Labour Law regulates the private-sector employment contract, working time, paid leave, end-of-service entitlements, occupational health and safety, and the resolution of labour disputes through labour offices and specialised labour chambers. Public-sector employment is governed by separate civil-service legislation.
Criminal law
The Penal Code defines offences across the conventional categories — against persons, against property, against public order, against the State — under a graded sanctions regime. The Code of Criminal Procedure governs investigation, prosecution, trial, and appeal. Specialised statutes address economic crime, anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering, cybercrime, and counter-terrorism.
Personal status
Personal status — marriage, divorce, custody, guardianship, and inheritance — is administered through the personal-status divisions of the family courts. Muslim personal status is governed by the Personal Status Laws drawing on Hanafi jurisprudence as the default school. Christian personal status is governed by the law of the relevant denomination.
Cross-references
For comparative reading on jurisdictions modelled on Egyptian civil-law drafting, see Syria laws, Iraq laws, Jordan laws, and Libya laws.
Frequently asked questions
What legal tradition does Egypt follow?
Egypt operates a civil-law system. The Egyptian Civil Code, drafted on French civil-law structure with the integration of Islamic jurisprudential principles, is the foundational text and has served as the model for most modern Arab civil codes.
Are Court of Cassation decisions binding precedent?
Egypt does not formally apply stare decisis. Court of Cassation decisions nonetheless carry strong persuasive authority and are routinely followed by lower courts.
Where is Egyptian company law codified?
The Companies Law is the principal corporate statute, supplemented by the Capital Market Law, the Banking Law, the Insurance Law, the Competition Law, and the Investment Law for designated investment vehicles.
Which court hears administrative disputes in Egypt?
Administrative disputes are heard by the Council of State (Conseil d'État), which exercises both first-instance and appellate jurisdiction over administrative matters and disputes involving public authorities.