Can an English court judgment be enforced directly in Egypt?
No. Egypt and England have no bilateral treaty for mutual recognition of judgments. An English judgment has no automatic legal effect in Egypt — it must go through a formal recognition procedure before Egyptian courts (exequatur).
What is the legal procedure to enforce an English judgment in Egypt?
The claimant must file an “exequatur” action before the competent Egyptian court, requesting an order to enforce the foreign judgment. The Egyptian court does not retry the case on its merits — it examines whether specific legal conditions under the Egyptian Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure are satisfied.
3. What conditions must be met for the Egyptian court to grant exequatur?
- The English court had proper international jurisdiction under Egyptian conflict-of-laws rules
- The judgment is final and not subject to further appeal in England
- The defendant was properly notified and had a genuine opportunity to defend
- The judgment does not conflict with a previous Egyptian judgment on the same dispute
- Enforcement does not violate Egyptian public policy or public order
- Reciprocity — Egyptian courts generally require that England would, in similar circumstances, enforce an Egyptian judgment (this is assessed case by case, since no treaty exists)
4. What documents are required from the English side?
- Certified copy of the final English judgment
- Proof the judgment is final and enforceable in England (not under appeal)
- Certified Arabic translation of the judgment
- Legalization of the judgment (Apostille, since the UK is a Hague Convention member, followed by authentication procedures required for use in Egypt)
How long does the exequatur process take, and can enforcement be opposed?
It typically takes several months, depending on the court’s workload and whether the opposing party contests the conditions above. The defendant can challenge jurisdiction, service, public policy compliance, or reciprocity — so accurate documentation and legal argument at filing stage are essential to avoid delays.