some articles in the Code of Criminal Procedures were amended.

some articles in the Code of Criminal Procedures were amended. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued Decree No. 11 of 2017 on 27 April on the amendment of appeal procedures, whereby cases can only be tried once before the Criminal Court and only once before the Court of Cassation where the latter addresses the subject matter. The amendments came in order to speed up litigation, but on the contrary, shorter periods of litigation and the absence of the possibility of a retrial - particularly in cases punishable by the death sentence - can jeopardize the course of justice, fair trial guarantees and the rights of the accused.
Prior to April 2017, the Court of Cassation could have annulled the criminal verdict and re-tried the defendant before another criminal circuit. Once referred to a new criminal court, the defendants could appeal for a second time to the Court of Cassation. As such it was possible for the defendants to appeal twice before the Court of Cassation