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Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi announced today that the country’s new law on alternative sentencing, Law No. 43.22, will take effect starting August 22, 2025.
Speaking during a session in the House of Councillors on Tuesday, Ouahbi revealed that preparations for the law’s implementation are underway, with measures set to begin in May 2025, SNRT News reported.
The law seeks to reduce prison overcrowding, as well as promote rehabilitation by encouraging values such as work ethic and self-improvement, in order to help offenders reintegrate into society.
It provides non-custodial penalties for misdemeanors with sentences of up to five years, excluding offenses such as state security crimes, terrorism, corruption, embezzlement, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. These also include sexual assault against minors and disabled people.
Ouahbi added during the session that a dedicated committee has been established to oversee the process, including representatives from the Deposit and Management Fund, the Public Prosecution, the government, and the prison administration.
The minister also shared that discussions are ongoing with the Council of Europe to organize training sessions for judges and officials tasked with implementing the law. These sessions, he said, aim to ensure that alternative sentencing is applied effectively when the law comes into force.
To support this initiative, Moroccan officials are studying international models of alternative sentencing that are already being put into practice. A delegation recently visited France to learn from its experiences, and similar visits are planned to Spain and the United States to gain further insights into the benefits and challenges of such systems.
Law No. 43.22 was published in the official gazette on August 22, 2024.
Reactions to the law have varied among Moroccans, with many criticizing it by saying that alternative sentences are not powerful enough and lack the “deterrence” factor that comes with harsher sentences.
They argue that harsh sentences keep people from committing a crime for fear of receiving the same sentence.
Morocco has witnessed an uptick of crimes relating to the sexual assault, harrassment and abuse in recent years, and notably some of these sentences fall below the five year mark. This would mean that these perpetrators could potentially benefit from the alternative sentencing law, which has sparked debate.
One socials user, echoed by others, expressed concern that the new law would be exploited by influential people, saying: “this ‘reform’ will be used to keep friends of politicians/( other powerful people) out of jail.”
Read also: Morocco to Cast Unprecedented Vote in Favor of UN Death Penalty Resolution
