In Morocco, thousands of search warrants cancelled, here’s why

The clean-up was drastic in the files of the public prosecutor’s offices. In response to a circular issued on September 16, 2025, the prosecutors of the Kingdom combed through all the pending cases. The results of this audit, finalized at the end of October, are massive: out of a total of 117,359 reports examined, 70,948 search warrants were simply cancelled.

This approach is primarily aimed at ensuring that the freedom of individuals is not hindered by procedures that have become obsolete. The notices concerned, whether related to criminal investigations, the execution of prison sentences or coercion, had lost their legal justification, often due to the effect of prescription. The judicial institution thus intends to clean up its databases to retain only active and valid measures, in compliance with the principles of criminal justice.