ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the political and socioeconomic climate surrounding the process of writing Egypt's 2012 and 2014 constitutions, the process itself, and finally the text of the constitutions to see whether the change of hands had a bearing on the law of the land. It focuses on rights and freedoms are strengthened with the deletion of most references leading to a theocracy. The Preamble of the 2012 constitution was stronger on rights than its successor which opted for a historical overview of the secular and tolerant Egyptian nature. In 2013, the process of writing Egypt's constitution was also criticized for having been run behind closed doors. Among the criticisms directed toward the two constitutional committees were the criteria of membership selection and legitimacy. The difference between the two constitutions with regards to women's constitutional rights is less than what meets the eye. Checks and balances between the state's powers are very important guarantees for human rights.
