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| Africa North |
| King Mohammed VI calls for overhaul of judicial system |
| 2009-08-25 |
| In a speech marking the 56th anniversary of the 1953 Revolution of the King and the People, King Mohammed VI laid out a six-part strategy for judicial reform, a subject which has been the subject of intense debate over the past few months. The Moroccan monarch indicated the six main areas where reforms will occur: strengthened guarantees of judicial independence, modernisation of the regulatory framework, an overhaul in structure and staffing, increased efficiency, the enforcement of rules to prevent corruption and abuse of office, and the optimal implementation of reforms. In planning the reforms, the king said last Thursday (August 20th), consideration should be paid to findings from a Ministry of Justice project and consultations with civil society groups, political organisations and Morocco's international partners. Also important, the king said, was the creation of an advisory body to share knowledge of legal matters relating to the judicial system, so as to give the Council of the Judiciary a role worthy of its standing as a constitutional institution. He also spoke of the need for women to have a presence within the Council "that will adequately reflect the place of female judges in our judicial system". Finally, the monarch called on the government to conduct sweeping reforms in order to build public confidence in a fair judicial system. The Ministry of Justice considered judicial reform for several months and engaged in broad-based consultations with political parties, legal professionals and civil society. Priorities identified by the ministry include training, retention of legal documents, legal information offices and improved access to information for people standing trial. Abdellatif Oumou, a lawyer with the Party of Progress and Socialism, told Magharebia that the Ministry of Justice received many opinions and recommendations and now has a platform to realise the plan laid out by King Mohammed VI. |
| Posted by:Fred |