Morocco Launches Major Family Code Reform Under King’s Directive

The reform of the Family Code is underway. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch chaired a meeting at the headquarters of his department in Rabat, which was devoted to preparing for the upcoming meetings for the organization and distribution of tasks. This meeting was attended by the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Delegate President of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, Mohammed Abdennabaoui, and the Attorney General of the King at the Court of Cassation, as well as the President of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, El Hassan Daki. On Friday, a first meeting of the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Delegate President of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, Mohammed Abdennabaoui, and the Attorney General of the King at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, El Hassan Daki, was held at the headquarters of the Kingdom’s Academy in Rabat. On the agenda: the steering of the revision of the Family Code.

From Friday, Abdellatif Ouahbi told the press, the reform of the Family Code will be launched. "We will listen to the civil forces and government officials and we will try to listen to everyone to agree on a set of changes," he continued. His wish is to "be up to the trust" of King Mohammed VI "to promote in equity the condition of the Moroccan woman, which remains our main objective." For his part, the Delegate President of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, Mohammed Abdennabaoui, specified that the sovereign has seen fit to set up this committee for the revision of the Family Code, in force for 20 years, a sufficient duration to identify the shortcomings and problems facing the family.

On Saturday, the third meeting was held in Rabat at the headquarters of the Kingdom’s Academy, in the presence of the Minister of Justice, the Delegate President of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, the President of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the Secretary General of the Superior Council of Ulema, the President of the National Human Rights Council and the Minister in charge of Solidarity, Social Integration and the Family. The aim was to examine the working methodology, which guarantees the close participation of all the components of this expanded committee in the various stages of collective reflection and consultation for the amendment of the Code, in accordance with the method set out in the royal letter, while setting the periodicity and regularity of the meetings, as well as the working arrangements regarding the listening and hearing of the different actors or the examination and deliberation on the issues raised.

Last week, King Mohammed VI addressed a letter to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch regarding the revision of the Family Code. Is a reform really necessary? "... Today, it is necessary to re-examine it in order to correct the dysfunctions and shortcomings that the experience of its judicial implementation has revealed. Moreover, its provisions must also be brought into line with the evolution of Moroccan society and the needs of sustainable development. The new version will thus be harmonized with the progress of our national legislation," the sovereign indicates in his letter.