The Egyptian judicial system is based on European and primarily French legal concepts and methods, combined with Islamic (Shariah) law.
The Egyptian judicial institution that existed in the mid 19th century was characterized by the following: During the Ottoman era, the judiciary power was undertaken by one person known as the Chief Justice, who was assisted by four deputies representing the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence: Hanafi, Shafie, Maleki and Hanbali.
Egypt based its criminal codes and court operations primarily on British, Italian, and Napoleonic models.
Egypt's laws require that a detained person be brought before a magistrate and formally charged within forty-eight hours or released.
The law enabled authorities to circumvent the increasingly independent regular court system in cases where people were charged with endangering state security.
The law applied primarily to Islamic radicals but also covered leftists suspected of political violence, drug smugglers, and illegal currency dealers.
The Emergency Law of 1958 authorized the judicial system to detain people without charging them or guaranteeing them due process while an investigation was under way.
[citation needed] Egypt's Civil Code governs "the areas of personal rights, contracts, obligations, and torts.
Hisbah is an Islamic doctrine calling for Muslims, including rulers and governments, to enjoin good and forbid bad.
[3] (While under standard legal rules a plaintiff attempting to sue must demonstrate they have standing to sue the defendant because they have not incurred loss or otherwise have any "direct interest", which they would not if they were suing an alleged Muslim deviant for the defendant's beliefs – specifically alleged heresy or blasphemy – under the doctrine of hisbah the plaintiffs have direct interest by virtue of their being "Muslims exercising their duty of commanding right and forbidding wrong".
[4] According to Mohamed S. E. Abdel Wahab, "arbitration has established itself as a prominent method for resolving business, commercial, and investment disputes" in Egypt, based on 'Arbitration Law No.27 of the Year 1994'.
According to the Egyptian judiciary law, there are seven courts of appeal in Egypt; in Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta, Mansoura, Ismailia, Beni Swaif and Assuit.
This aims to secure psychological peace for the children who may be involved, especially in such cases of tutelage, divorce, alimony, custody, etc.
The ultimate objective of this court is to hammer out an amicable settlement for family problems through specialized guidance bureaus.