Who is Egypt’s New Prosecutor General?

Mohamed Shawky Ayad will become Egypt’s new prosecutor general from 19 September, replacing current public prosecutor Hamada El-Sawy, according to a presidential decree issued on 24 August.

El-Sawy held the office since September 2019.

Ayad, the former president of the Alexandria Court of Appeals, joined the public prosecution in 1980, and was appointed judge in 1989, according to Youm7. He was also seconded to the United Arab Emirates for a time.

Ayad presided over the Cairo Court of Appeals before going to Alexandria.

What Does the Prosecutor General Do?

“In Egypt, the Prosecutor General and the Public Prosecution Office he heads are an independent arm of the judicial branch of government, not subject to executive branch authority or control,” reads the Egypt Justice project’s website.

“Public prosecutors act as both investigators and courtroom prosecutors […] the role of the public prosecutor is to conduct a neutral, unbiased investigation into the truth.”

The prosecutor general is a senior judge selected by the Supreme Judicial Council, says Egypt Justice.

“Prior to the 2011 revolution, the President of the Republic had the authority to select the Prosecutor General, but that authority to select was eliminated by both the 2012 and 2014 constitutions. Now, the President of the Republic has only the authority to appoint, as an essentially ministerial act.”

Prosecutor generals serve one four-year term before being replaced.