Egypt… El-Sisi Appoints a New Attorney General
A new Attorney General has been appointed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi today, Thursday
Ahmed Fahmy, the spokesperson for the Egyptian presidency, stated in a statement on his official Facebook page: “President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued Presidential Decree No. 358 appointing Counselor Mohamed Shoukry Fathi Ismail Ayyad, the President of the Alexandria Court of Appeal, as the Attorney General, effective from September 19, 2023.”
Ayyad thus succeeds Counselor Hamada El Sawy, who has held the position of Attorney General since 2019.
Earlier today, President el-Sisi received Minister of Justice Counselor Omar Marwan, who presented him with a letter from the Supreme Judicial Council regarding the three nominations for the position of Attorney General in accordance with constitutional procedures.
Who is the New Attorney General?
Counselor Mohamed Ayyad joined the Public Prosecution immediately after graduating and progressively advanced within the prosecution and judiciary until he became the President of the Court of Appeal.
Counselor Ayyad is known for his competence, impartiality, and detachment from any classifications or calculations throughout his judicial career.
The new Attorney General previously held the position of Assistant Minister of Justice for Judicial Inspection and was loaned to work in the United Arab Emirates earlier.
How is the Attorney General Selected in Egypt?
Article 119 of the Egyptian Judiciary Law outlines the mechanism for selecting the Attorney General.
The Attorney General is appointed by a presidential decree from among three nominees submitted by the Supreme Judicial Council, chosen from among the Vice-Presidents of the Court of Cassation, the Presidents of the Courts of Appeal, and the Deputy Attorneys General.
The term of appointment for the Attorney General is 4 years or until the Attorney General reaches the retirement age, whichever comes first, during his term of service.
The names of the nominees must be communicated to the President of the Republic at least 30 days before the end of the term of the Attorney General.
If the nominees are not named before the legally stipulated deadline, or if less than three candidates are nominated, or if candidates who do not meet the criteria mentioned in the first paragraph are nominated, the President of the Republic appoints the Attorney General from among the Vice-Presidents of the Court of Cassation, the Presidents of the Courts of Appeal, and the Deputy Attorneys General.
