Electronic signature forgery is not merely a civil dispute over contract validity — it is a distinct criminal offense under Egyptian law, carrying penalties separate from and in addition to any civil consequences arising from the underlying contract dispute.
What exactly counts as “forgery” of an electronic signature under Egyptian law?
Forgery under Law No. 15/2004 covers destroying or damaging a signature or electronic medium, and falsifying it through imitation, modification, or alteration by any means — essentially, any act that creates a false impression about who signed a document or what it contained at the time of signing. This includes both creating a fake signature attributed to someone who never signed, and altering a genuine document’s content after a valid signature was applied.
Is using a forged electronic signature a separate crime from creating the forgery itself?
Yes. Egyptian law criminalizes both acts independently — falsifying the signature or medium is one offense, and knowingly using a falsified or damaged signature, electronic medium, or message is a separate offense carrying the same penalty range. This means a person who knowingly relies on a forged signature, even without having created the forgery themselves, faces the same criminal exposure as the forger.
What penalty applies if a company’s manager was aware that an employee forged an electronic signature on the company’s behalf?
If it is proven the manager had knowledge of the violation and that their negligence in fulfilling managerial duties allowed the crime to occur, the manager personally faces the same penalties as any individual violator — imprisonment and/or a fine between LE 10,000 and LE 100,000. The company itself is also jointly liable for any financial compensation ordered, where the violation was committed by an employee acting in the company’s name.
If a party is accused of forgery, does the criminal case affect a related civil contract dispute?
Generally yes, in practice — since Egyptian courts treat forgery as the recognized ground for challenging electronic evidence, a criminal forgery allegation directly affects whether the document can be relied upon in the related civil dispute. Courts frequently rely on a technical expert’s findings to resolve both the authenticity question feeding the civil contract dispute and, where pursued, the criminal forgery allegation itself.
Are the criminal penalties under Law No. 15/2004 the only consequence, or can forgery also trigger charges under the Penal Code?
The penalties under Law No. 15/2004 apply without prejudice to more severe penalties available under the Penal Code or any other law — meaning if the conduct also satisfies the elements of a more serious offense under general criminal law (such as forgery of official documents or fraud provisions carrying heavier penalties), prosecutors are not limited to the E-Signature Law’s penalty range and may pursue the more severe applicable charge.