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Marrakech – Morocco implemented on December 8 a seismic judicial reform that designates the address registered on national identity cards as the exclusive legal reference for court notifications, orchestrating a fundamental recalibration of the country’s criminal procedure architecture.
The new measure took effect Monday as part of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi announced the reform before Parliament on November 3, declaring that courts will abandon traditional notification methods that have plagued the judicial system with delays and procedural complications.
“We will not proceed with notifications as before,” Ouahbi explained to deputies, outlining how prosecutors and plaintiffs will provide addresses for initial notification attempts.
When individuals cannot be located at provided addresses, the prosecution will automatically use the address listed on their national identity card. This represents the reform’s most significant departure from existing practices, eliminating the “qayyim” system that previously designated judicial representatives to handle notifications when addresses were unknown.
The minister delivered a stark warning about the implications of failing to update identity card information. “If someone faces criminal charges and changes address without updating their national ID, they will execute the sentence,” Ouahbi declared.
“There will be no more default judgments followed by opposition, then a new trial. All of that is finished. We no longer want to waste time.”
Under the new system, any judgment delivered to an address registered on a national ID card becomes final after ten days, with no regular recourse available.
Ouahbi stressed that judgments in criminal and misdemeanor cases will carry the same weight as decisions rendered in the defendant’s presence, allowing direct implementation of penalties, including imprisonment for infractions.
Read also: Justice Minister Ouahbi Proposes Judicial Document Delivery via Glovo
The prosecution gains authority to visit addresses listed on national identity cards to complete notifications. A defendant’s absence from the premises will not invalidate the procedure, which remains legally accomplished regardless of physical presence.
The reform specifically targets long-standing issues where defendants avoided court proceedings by changing addresses without official notification. Legal experts view this as a crucial step in preventing judicial system manipulation through address changes, strengthening the principle of linking responsibility to official information.
Judicial authorities confirmed that linking notifications directly to citizens’ official data achieves greater transparency and effectiveness while guaranteeing defense rights. The measure forms part of broader efforts to modernize judicial administration and ensure legal security for citizens.
Authorities urged citizens to maintain updated information on their electronic national identity cards, particularly residential addresses. Failure to update information carries significant legal consequences, as notifications and summons are considered valid even when not physically received.
According to officials, this procedural overhaul represents Rabat’s commitment to streamlining judicial processes while maintaining constitutional guarantees, positioning the country’s legal framework for enhanced efficiency in the digital age.
