The new law No. 03.23 regarding amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure has come into effect following its publication in Official Gazette No. 7437 on August 13, 2025. This step has been deemed a historic milestone by the Ministry of Justice within the framework of comprehensive reforms to the justice system in Morocco.
The new law embodies the royal directives calling for updates to criminal policy and the assurance of effective and efficient justice, reflecting the spirit of the 2011 Constitution, which established the protection of rights and freedoms as a core foundation for building a democratic Morocco.
The text focuses on introducing substantive reforms, the most prominent of which are:
– Enhancing guarantees for a fair trial by securing defense rights and ensuring the right to a trial within a reasonable time, while expanding access to legal aid.
– Mandating that suspects be informed of their rights during detention and enabling them to contact a lawyer and access translation services when necessary.
– Reducing the reliance on pre-trial detention and limiting it to the most urgent cases, alongside activating modern precautionary alternatives.
– Expanding victims’ rights, particularly for women and children affected by violence, through legal and social support and informing them about the outcome of their cases.
– Establishing a national observatory for crime to guide criminal policy based on accurate data.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi confirmed that the adoption of this law constitutes a “fundamental pillar in the large reform construction,” highlighting that updating the judicial system enhances Morocco’s international appeal and aligns with upcoming responsibilities, including hosting the 2030 World Cup.
This text is considered a crucial building block in the path to justice reform, along with revising the Criminal Code and laws governing the judicial professions, and accelerating the digital transformation within courts, thereby enhancing trust in justice and solidifying the rule of law.
