Within its continuous pursuit to explore the future horizons of criminal justice in light of the outcomes of the modern technological revolution, the Faculty of Law at Zagazig University organized, on Sunday, 21 December 2025, the Second Scientific Conference of the Department of Criminal Law under the title “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Criminal Policy.”
The conference was held under the patronage of Khaled El-Dardali, President of Zagazig University; the leadership and attendance of Ihab El-Bablawy, Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Research; and under the supervision of Shaimaa Abdel-Ghani Attallah, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law.
The conference was attended by Mohamed Hamdy Bahansi, Vice Dean for Education and Student Affairs; Ahmed Ibrahim Dahshan, Vice Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Research; along with a distinguished group of prominent legal and academic figures at the Faculty of Law.
The attendees included Abdel-Tawab Moawad El-Shorbagy, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law; Naggaty Sanad, Emeritus Professor of Criminal Law; Ahmed El-Shawadfy, Acting Head of the Department of Criminal Law; Yahia Dahshan, Assistant Professor of Criminal Law; in addition to a large number of faculty members and researchers.
The conference proceedings commenced with the national anthem, followed by a recitation of verses from the Holy Qur’an. Subsequently, Professor Dr. Ihab El-Bablawy delivered the opening address, expressing his appreciation to the Faculty of Law for its continuous scientific momentum. He noted that artificial intelligence has generated new patterns of crimes, such as identity theft, online fraud, violations of reputation and privacy, and voiceprint crimes. He emphasized the necessity of reformulating criminal policy in a manner that achieves effective deterrence while maintaining a delicate balance between protecting society and safeguarding rights and freedoms. He further stressed that scientific research represents the fundamental pillar for building a justice system capable of addressing modern technological transformations.
In her address, Professor Dr. Shaimaa Abdel-Ghani Attallah explained that artificial intelligence has become one of the most influential factors within the criminal justice system, necessitating a reconsideration of concepts of criminalization, liability, and punishment, in order to balance societal protection with the preservation of rights and freedoms. She added that the Faculty of Law consistently seeks to support serious scientific research and open channels of dialogue among academics and specialists, thereby contributing to the preparation of legal professionals capable of engaging with contemporary legal developments.
The conference included several rich scientific sessions that discussed multiple key themes, namely:
The problem of criminalization in light of the spread of artificial intelligence applications;
The impact of artificial intelligence on the right to privacy;
Criminal liability arising from artificial intelligence technologies;
Criminal sanctions for acts involving artificial intelligence.
During the discussions, Professor Dr. Abdel-Tawab El-Shorbagy affirmed that the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies poses fundamental challenges to traditional criminal policy, noting that existing criminal legislation was not drafted within a comparable technological context, thus necessitating legislative review to keep pace with developments and achieve a balance between societal protection and scientific progress.
Professor Dr. Shaimaa Abdel-Ghani Attallah further highlighted the complexity of criminal liability in the field of artificial intelligence, explaining that the issue extends beyond the multiplicity of actors to the difficulty of establishing causation between conduct and result amid the intervention of intelligent systems, stressing that research in this field has become an urgent legislative necessity.
Professor Dr. Ahmed El-Shawadfy addressed the risks of artificial intelligence as one of the most serious indirect threats to the right to privacy, particularly with the expansion of data collection and automated analysis. He emphasized that criminal protection of privacy must evolve to encompass non-traditional violations resulting from algorithmic data processing.
Additionally, Professor Dr. Yahia Dahshan raised the issue of criminal sanctions in artificial intelligence crimes, noting that such crimes pose fundamental questions regarding the adequacy of traditional criminal penalties, especially in cases where a direct human perpetrator is absent. He stressed the importance of exploring alternative sanctions consistent with the principles of criminal justice.
The conference concluded with a set of recommendations presented by Alaa Adel, emphasizing the need to develop the criminal legislative framework to address artificial intelligence challenges. The recommendations included updating the principle of legality, clearly defining legal responsibilities for acts of intelligent systems, strengthening technical, ethical, and regulatory safeguards, supporting scientific research, amending existing legislation, expanding international cooperation, and building judicial capacities to confront emerging technological crimes.
The conference also witnessed the participation of members of the Department of Criminal Law, including:
Dr. Doria Shafik, Dr. Shaimaa Fadel, Dr. Alaa Adel, Dr. Dina Monea, Dr. Mohsen Fathy, Dr. Mariam Attia, and Dr. Hoda Youssef.
At the conclusion of the conference, a number of distinguished professors and researchers from various academic departments were honored in recognition of their outstanding research efforts and scientific contributions during the first semester conferences. The Faculty of Law also presented its shield to Professor Dr. Ihab El-Bablawy, in appreciation of his prominent role in supporting scientific research and researchers at Zagazig University.
The Faculty concluded by extending sincere thanks to the Students’ Union of the Faculty of Law for their efforts and active participation in organizing the conference.