Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi announced on Monday that a new notification system will officially come into effect on December 9, as part of amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The reform seeks to address long-standing procedural delays caused by difficulties in notifying parties involved in judicial cases.
During a session at the House of Representatives, Ouahbi said the new system introduces a key change: if a person cannot be reached at the address provided by the plaintiff or the public prosecutor, the judiciary will instead rely on the address listed on their national identity card.
“If it turns out he has changed his place of residence without updating his address on the card, the notification will be considered legal and correct.”
According to Ouahbi, the measure aims to end “address manipulation,” a practice that has long obstructed the progress of litigation and led to unnecessary delays.
He warned that individuals who fail to update their address will face legal consequences.
“Whoever has a civil or misdemeanor case and has changed his address without changing it on the card, the judgment will be executed directly,” Ouahbi explained.
“We will not remain with the old procedure that wasted time with default judgments and subsequent appeals.”
The minister clarified that starting December 9, if a person fails to receive a notification because they did not update their national identity card, the judgment will be considered delivered after ten days and become enforceable, including in cases involving prison sentences.
Ouahbi urged citizens to promptly correct their address information to avoid legal complications, stating that the reform’s purpose is to ensure the effectiveness of justice and accelerate court procedures.
