A meeting of the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, the President Delegate of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary Power (CSPJ), Mohammed Abdennabaoui, the King’s Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Prosecution, El Hassan Daki, was held on Friday at the headquarters of the Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat, to steer the revision of the Family Code, given the centrality of the legal and judicial dimensions of this issue.
This meeting, which is part of the implementation of the contents of the Royal Letter addressed to the Head of Government and relating to the revision of the Family Code, comes to concretize the Royal decision announced by HM the King in the Speech of the Throne for the year 2022 and translate the High solicitude which the Sovereign does not cease granting to the promotion of the questions of the woman and the family in general.
In a statement to the press on this occasion, Ouahbi indicated that this first meeting follows on from the one held with the Head of Government, during which the preparation of forthcoming meetings with a view to the organization and distribution of missions was discussed, adding that from next Friday onwards, the start will be made of this major project initiated by HM the King, who places the issue of the family among top priorities.
“We will be listening to the civil forces and government officials, and we will try to listen to everyone in order to agree on a set of changes,” he added, expressing the wish to “live up to HM the King’s trust to promote the status of Moroccan women in an equitable manner, which remains our main goal.”
In a similar statement, Abdennabaoui stressed that HM the King is sensitive to issues relating to the Moroccan family, and is always ready to listen to the grievances and expectations of citizens, pointing out that the Sovereign has kindly set up this committee to revise the Family Code, which has been in force for 20 years, long enough to identify the shortcomings and problems facing the family.
The committee began its work immediately after being informed by the Head of Government of the content of the Royal Letter, and having familiarized itself with the concepts and the Royal High Directions it contains.
The committee started its work to determine the modus operandi, the working groups and the mode to be followed for the hearing of the various parties concerned by the question, and for the holding of the necessary consultations in an intense, close and broad manner in accordance with the High Instructions of HM the King.
“Starting next week, the committee will begin hearing some parties, and this operation will continue thereafter,” he said, expressing the wish to live up to the Royal Confidence to put forward proposals likely to provide Moroccans with a new Code that meet the aspirations of the Moroccan family.
“We expect all parties to inform us of their concerns, expectations and suggestions, which we can study in order to come up with proposals for submission to the High Royal Appreciation,” he added.
For his part, Daki emphasized that the meeting of this committee, set up by order of His Majesty the King, comes within the framework of the implementation of the Sovereign’s High Directives contained in the Royal Letter aimed at revising the Family Code, and the presentation of the broad outlines of the Code, the meeting and the work of this committee.
Daki hailed the High Royal Initiative to revise, amend and reform the Family Code, in view of its vital importance in preserving the family entity, be it the woman or the child, stressing the importance of this opportunity “as it comes two decades after the current Code came into force, and during which, of course, many failings and dysfunctions were identified.”
The Royal Wisdom is manifested through the identification of these dysfunctions with a view to revising certain articles and provisions aimed at improving and better organizing all the components of the Moroccan family, in addition to ensuring the implementation of the broad outlines of HM the King’s High Orientations contained in The Royal Letter.
Daki also praised the cooperation and involvement of the various institutions, so that “we can listen and be open to the different players and sensitivities in line with the High Royal Orientations, and listen to any component of society with an opinion in this general orientation desired by His Majesty the King.”
