Rabat – The Special Committee tasked with reviewing the Moroccan Family Code, known as the Moudawana, has conducted 130 hearings as of Wednesday, according to Hassan Dakki, the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation and Head of the Public Prosecution.
Speaking to the press following a committee hearing today, Dakki said that various stakeholders, including associations, political parties, professional bodies, research centers, and experts in family law, have shared their insights with the committee.
The sessions included consultations with 12 professional bodies and eight associations focusing on the Family Code, along with 13 research centers and relevant experts.
Dakki emphasized the collaborative atmosphere during the hearings, with all participants expressing a shared sense of responsibility. He said that additional meetings with experts would be organized to gather further ideas and opinions, particularly in the field of jurisprudence.
In addition, Dakkil highlighted the openness of the process, explaining that, following the conclusion of the hearings, anyone interested could submit opinions, analyses, recommendations, or proposals either in writing or through the committee’s website.
The call for reform to the Moudawana came in the wake of King Mohammed VI’s directive to the Head of the Moroccan government Aziz Akhannouch in September, tasking him with the responsibility of revising the family code.
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The King called for the submission of draft recommendations based on consultations within six months before the government prepares and submits a draft law for parliamentary approval.
In the wake of the ongoing consultations, Moroccan NGOs and women’s rights activists are advocating for various changes in the Moudawana.
Their demands encompass a range of critical changes, including the prohibition of polygamy, equal inheritance rights for both genders, and the abolition of underage marriage.
The Women’s Coordination for Comprehensive and Deep Change to the Family Code, a coalition comprising 31 women’s rights associations in Morocco, called on all parties involved in the consultations to reexamine the legislative text for its “inclusivity and depth,” employing precise legal formulations that leave no room for multiple interpretations.”
