Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi : The lawyer is the one who stands up for the truth and pays his tax

Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi has confirmed that the Ministry of Justice has links with lawyers’ profession though it’s an independent one, highlighting that he has referred to one case that exists inside the profession and has not criticized it; the matter concerns 95% of lawyers pay only MAD 10.000 as annual taxes.

Mr. Ouahbi clarified last Wednesday, November 17, 2021 during a radio program “meeting with the press” broadcast by national radio, that the number of lawyers back in the sixties was low, however they were respectful and stood up for rights and freedoms and were very active and no one criticized them; on the opposite now the number of lawyers is big and their influence is little, that’s why there should have some reviewing of the profession rules especially concerning lawyers paying their taxes in the same way as judges and courts staff and employees.

The Minister has stressed that he will never collude with anybody about tax evasion for the state, adding that the lawyer is the one who stands up for the truth and pays his taxes and that would restore prestige to this profession and law respect.

Minister Ouahbi has disclosed that he is open through dialogue with all bodies and bar associations for the sake of building a strong and honest profession that defends rights and freedoms; the fact which will bring him to reconsider the profession regulations and open a debate with bar associations and senior lawyers for that purpose.