Morocco has officially published Law 03.23 amending the Code of Criminal Procedure (Law 22.01) in the Official Gazette, with its provisions set to take effect in three months, marking a major step in the country’s justice reform agenda.
The law was not referred to the Constitutional Court, unlike the revised civil procedure code. Civil society and rights groups had urged such scrutiny, particularly of Articles 3 and 7.
The former centralizes the prosecution of financial crimes under the Attorney General at the Court of Cassation, based on referrals from the Court of Accounts or the Finance Inspectorate.
The latter restricts civil party status for associations to cases with public interest and prior authorization from the Justice Ministry, a move criticized as limiting civic action.
The Justice Ministry hailed the reform as a “historic milestone” advancing King Mohammed VI’s vision of a modern rule-of-law state. Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said the law reinforces fair trial guarantees, limits pre-trial detention, expands legal aid, and creates a National Observatory on Crime.
He linked the overhaul to Morocco’s global ambitions, including hosting the 2030 World Cup, framing a modern judiciary as key to investment and institutional credibility.
The ministry stressed that the law builds on the 2011 Constitution, strengthening defense rights, presumption of innocence, victim protections, and judicial oversight, while advancing digital transformation in courts.
It forms part of a broader justice reform package alongside updates to the penal code and judicial professions laws, underscoring Morocco’s effort to present itself as a regional model of democratic governance and legal modernization.
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