access to basic services. Several laws and ministerial decrees have been issued to intensify
efforts in the context of protecting children's rights, notably:
a) The issuance of Presidential Decree No. 75 of 2015 withdrawing Egypt's
reservation to Article 21.2 of the African Charter on the Rights and
Welfare of the Child of 1990 on the prohibition of marriage under 18 years
of age.
b) Law No. 6 of 2015 amending the provisions of the Children's Law No. 12
of 1996, lowering the minimum age for children included in the foster
family system from two years to three months.
c) Decree No. 7 of 2015 amended some provisions of the Children's Law No.
12 of 1996, including reducing the age of criminal responsibility for
children from 21 to 18.
d) Decree No. 84 of 2015 concerning the regulation of the ‘Tahya Misr Fund’
was promulgated and provides for the competence of the fund to
assist state bodies in reducing the phenomenon of street children and
displaced persons.
e) Act No. 101 of 2015 on curbing cheating in examinations, which penalizes
anyone who prints, publishes or broadcasts by any means the questions
in or answers to examinations related to different stages of education in
order to maintain the level of education and ensure equal opportunities for
all students.
f)
Law No. 106 of 2015 amended Law No. 396 of 1956 concerning prison
reform to ensure that female prisoners are granted the right to keep their
children with them until the age of four years, and to remain with them
during the first two years.
g) A decision by the Minister of Justice on 17/1/2016 allocated an integrated
headquarters for the establishment of the Model Child Court in Cairo. This
is the first model court for children in Egypt. It includes the offices of the
two courts of law (primary and appellate), child prosecution offices, the
offices of social workers, and quarters for children appearing in court,
funded by the European Union.
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