The judicial system (or judicial branch) of Egypt is an independent branch of the Egyptian government which includes both secular and religious courts. The Egyptian judicial system is based on European and primarily French legal concepts and methods, combined with Islamic (Shariah) law. The legal code is derived largely from the Napoleonic Code. Marriage and personal status are primarily based on the religious law of the individual concerned. Thus, there are three forms of family law in Egypt: Islamic, Christian, and secular (based on the French family laws). The judicial branch plays an important role in the political process in Egypt, as the branch is given the responsibility to monitor and run the country's parliamentary and presidential elections. History Egypt was among the first countries in the world after France to establish a judicial institution. The beginning was in 1875 with the enactment of the modern codification under which the Mixed Courts were established. The Egyptian judicial institution that existed in the mid 19th century was characterized by the following: Courts at that time were not entirely national, but rather there were courts for foreigners known as "consular courts". The judicial authority at that time was not the only authority entrusted with giving rulings on disputes, but rather there was another system that had enabled members of the executive authority to issue rulings in certain cases. Abandonment of the unified judicial system that had existed since the Ottoman rule of Egypt. During the Ottoman era, the judiciary power was undertaken by one person known as the Chief Justice, who was assisted by four deputies representing the four schools of Islamic jurisprudence; Hanafi, Shafie, Maleki and Hanbali. During Mohamed Ali's reign of Egypt and his endeavor to build a modern Egyptian state, two significant developments took place in Egypt, leading to the existence of various bodies of civil judiciary in the country. Criminal code Egypt based its criminal codes and court operations primarily on British, Italian, and Napoleonic models. Criminal court procedures had been substantially modified by the heritage of Islamic legal and social patterns and the legacy of numerous kinds of courts that formerly existed. The divergent sources and philosophical origins of these laws and the inapplicability of many borrowed Western legal concepts occasioned difficulties in administering Egyptian law. The criminal code listed three main categories of crime: contraventions (minor offenses), misdemeanors (offenses punishable by imprisonment or fines), and felonies