Driver Wins Court Case Against Unfair Traffic Fine in Morocco

It all started with a traffic stop. On July 17, 2022, while driving on the beach road in Larache, a driver was stopped by a traffic officer, who accused him of exceeding the authorized speed limit by less than 20 km/h. Surprised, the driver disputes the officer’s decision, on the grounds that there was no warning sign indicating the presence of a checkpoint, and that the police officer had surprised him by coming out from behind a tree with a radar device to check the speed.

The police officer does not take it lightly and issues a ticket. Dissatisfied, the driver takes the case to the Court of First Instance in Larache. In his complaint, he specifies that the control operation and the drafting of the report had taken place under illegal conditions, as the observation had been made in a bend and at the end of a descent, without any sign indicating the presence of a traffic control.

The court looks into the case and concludes that the ticket issued by the Larache police was null and void. Relying on provisions of the Highway Code and its implementing decree, as well as articles of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it emphasized the importance of respecting the laws and proper procedures during traffic control operations. The court canceled the ticket and ordered the reimbursement of the amount paid as a fine to the driver, while imposing the court costs on the Treasury General.