Morocco’s revised cheque law has helped settle more than 16,000 unpaid cheque cases worth over 630 million dirhams since it took effect in January 2026, Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi told parliament on Monday, saying lower fines had unlocked cases long blocked under the previous system.
Ouahbi said Law 71.24, which amended the commercial code, reduced the settlement fine from 25% to 2%, removing what he described as one of the main obstacles to resolving cheque offences.
He said the change alone had helped settle 1,640 additional cases and brought the state about 2.3 million dirhams in revenue.
Of the settled cases, 12,700 involved individuals for a total of 432 million dirhams, while legal entities paid 147 million dirhams, Ouahbi said during an oral questions session in the House of Representatives.
Under the new law, criminal proceedings can be dropped if the cheque amount and the 2% fine are paid, whether at the complaint stage or after judgment, allowing for the immediate release of those concerned. If payment is not made to the court account, or if the complainant does not withdraw, the offence remains punishable by prison, he said.
Ouahbi said the ministry had also proposed allowing either the injured party’s lawyer or the public prosecutor to activate the settlement procedure even if the offender does not request it, in an effort to widen access to the measure.
The minister also said the new law made “guarantee cheques” payable even when issued as security, reversing a practice that had often shielded them from enforcement.
The session turned political after Ouahbi warned lawmakers against using guarantee cheques in election campaigns, prompting objections from MPs before he withdrew the remark and said it was not meant as an accusation.
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