Rabat- On Thursday, August 29, the Government Council approved Bill No. 03.23, which amends and supplements Law No. 22.01 concerning criminal procedure. The bill, presented by Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi, incorporates feedback received during the review process and aims to update legislation that has been in effect for over twenty years.
Mustapha Baitas, Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament and government spokesperson, emphasized the bill’s importance in a press briefing following the Council meeting. This legislative initiative is a key component of Morocco’s broader effort to modernize its legal system, which is central to the comprehensive judicial reform project frequently highlighted by King Mohammed VI.
The bill reflects the significant progress Morocco has made in human rights, particularly since the adoption of the 2011 Constitution. It builds on the approval of various rights and freedoms and the establishment of mechanisms to protect and ensure their exercise.
The revised Criminal Procedure Code aims to balance societal protection from crime with the safeguarding of individual rights and freedoms. Covering over 420 articles, the update introduces several key innovations.
These include enhancing guarantees for a fair trial, treating detention as a last resort, clarifying provisional detention procedures, and strengthening defense rights. Additionally, the bill seeks to modernize criminal justice mechanisms, utilize contemporary crime prevention tools, and enhance victim protection.
Among the bill’s key provisions are new regulations that integrate criminal policy into state public policies. These measures aim to improve the protection of minors, streamline appeal procedures, and bolster the independence of the public prosecutor’s office by transferring certain powers.
The bill also introduces significant changes to the execution of sentences. It expands the responsibilities of judges overseeing sentence enforcement and implements a motivational system for inmates, allowing for sentence reductions as a reward for maintaining discipline.
