The Court of Appeal in Marrakech hosted a remarkable training session on Friday, October 24, 2025, under the supervision of the Attorney General, Khalid Kerdoudi. The seminar focused on a topic of significant legal and social relevance: “Judicial Reconciliation as an Alternative Mechanism for Resolving Legal Disputes,” in light of amendments introduced by Law No. 03-23, which modifies and complements the Criminal Procedure Code.
In the opening speech, Abd al-Qadir al-Fattahi, the first deputy attorney general, affirmed that judicial reconciliation represents a qualitative leap in the modernization of criminal justice in Morocco, serving as a means to achieve restorative justice that balances the preservation of public order with the safeguarding of individual rights.
He noted that this mechanism is not merely a friendly settlement but an effective legal tool to alleviate the burden on courts by resolving simple disputes more swiftly and flexibly.
During interventions presented by professors Aziz Al-Bashtili and Youssef Zahiliqa, the key updates brought by Law 03-23 were highlighted, particularly those related to expanding the range of crimes eligible for reconciliation, outlining precise procedures for its implementation, and ensuring oversight by the public prosecution throughout its various stages, from proposing reconciliation to monitoring its execution.
All participants agreed that the activation of judicial reconciliation is subject to a number of objective and procedural conditions, the most important of which are that the crime must be minor, and there should be voluntary agreement between the public prosecution and the accused on the principle of reconciliation, while respecting the agreed financial or reparative commitments within the legal timelines.
The session concluded with participants emphasizing that the integration of judicial reconciliation into Moroccan criminal policy represents a qualitative shift in the philosophy of justice, moving from a punitive model to one based on reconciliation and reform.
