Morocco’s Council of Government gave the green light to amend draft law No. 03.23, which modifies and supplements the Criminal Procedure Law No. 22.01, initially enacted over two decades ago, at a meeting of the Council in Rabat on Thursday.
The legislative reform initiative is designed to consolidate the justice reforms spearheaded by King Mohammed VI, Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas told the press at a briefing following the Council meeting.
Presented by Abdelatif Ouahbi, Morocco’s Justice Minister, the initiative forms part of a broader modernization plan of the Kingdom’s judicial system.
“The law reflects Morocco’s significant progress in human rights, including the adoption of the 2011 Constitution and the enactment of several rights and freedoms, accompanied by the establishment of robust mechanisms to protect and ensure their exercise,” Baitas stated.
The revised Criminal Procedure Code addresses over 420 articles and is designed to balance the protection of the general public along with the safeguarding of individual rights and liberties, according to the Minister.
Notable enhancements include improvements to fair trial provisions, rationalization of pretrial detention, and reinforcement of defense rights.
The project introduces new measures for criminal policy, integrating it as a central aspect of national public policy. It defines the scope of criminal policy, regulates its implementation, prioritizes the protection of minors, simplifies appeal procedures, and delegates some powers to strengthen the independence of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The project also introduces judicial advances in the execution of sentences by expanding the authority of the relevant judges and encouraging inmate discipline through a sentence reduction process.