Video / Minister of Justice: « I am ready to carry out an investigation about bar profession exam though I don’t interfere into details of who has succeeded”

Minister of Justice, Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi was the guest last Sunday evening, January 8, 2023 of 2M TV prime time show “With Ramadani”, in which the Minister has clarified many important points which have been of great public concern and interest following the Ministry of Justice exam set for bar profession to recruit new lawyers.

At the beginning, Minister Ouahbi said “I am ready to carry out an investigation about the bar profession exam though I don’t interfere into details of who has succeeded”, adding that “Maybe I have mistaken or I have been affected but as a Minister of Justice I have many responsibilities and I will continue to shoulder those responsibilities till the time defined for me”.

Minister Ouahbi has explained “I have not supervised directly over the bar exam which has stirred a great deal of controversy but there is a Justice Ministry committee specialized in organizing exams.. There are so far 103 candidates who have claimed to see their exams papers, but let me tell you, the ones who have succeeded have succeeded; and we have dropped grades level purposely to increase the number to 2000 instead of only 800 among candidates who have succeeded.”

On a question about the success in the exam of some candidates who are family members/or sons of lawyers and judges, Minister Ouahbi made clear that “the success of the sons of some lawyers and judges in the exam is related to the fact that those candidates were prepared and trained in their fathers’ offices… what has occurred in the bar profession exam is a small storm that cannot push me to request my exemption/or departure from office. The matter is more than that, it concerns a state and sides with full respect and place. Maybe I have mistaken or I have been affected but still it remains a government responsibility and I should continue to shoulder it till the last minute.”

Minister Ouahbi regarding that last point that “I am fulfilling my mission normally both as Minister of justice and as Secretary General of PAM.”

“I don’t flee from battles but I am fulfilling my duty.. There are some other important hot issues which will be raised to debate especially during the revision of penal code bill, bar profession bill, death sentence, individual freedoms, pretrial detention, underage marriage, and I am expecting that there will be serious discussions about those hot issues.”

Minister Ouahbi said in conclusion “I am spontaneous and instinctive and those characteristics bring me lots of problems..”