Video – Project bill about “alternative penalties” explained by Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi
Minister of Justice Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi was the guest last Thursday, June 8, 2023 of SNRT prime evening news shedding some light on “alternative penalties” project bill before being submitted to Parliament for discussion and to the government for adoption.
Q: What are those penalties?
A: First “alternative penalties” are an advanced level of dealing with crimes and criminality. As you know prison is not an absolute solution to criminality but a relative solution to some problems.. The project bill has come as a result of new ideas; we have seen some world experiences in this regard that have started to bear some fruits and a new opportunity for citizens in jail to find solutions to, for instance, the problem of overcrowded prisons and to possibilities of re-integration for detainees.
Q: What are the values of this project bill concerning social justice in our country?
A/ First there is an end to overcrowded prisons then offer citizens the opportunity to find alternative solutions rather that imprisonment: we don’t want to solve criminality problem only by prisons but we’d like to reach some other solutions; as it was demonstrated in some parts of the world that if a prisoner is given a second chance, yet with precautions, then re-integration in society will be easier.
Q: How those alternative penalties will be implemented?
A: First, before I talk about this alternative penalties project bill, it has come after the royal speech and after a long dialogue with the Equity and Reconciliation Authority and after a national dialogue with many players in the judiciary apparatus. In this context, the judge’s decision is most important in assessing the possibility of applying alternative penalties or not (such as working for community, cleaning up streets or putting on an electronic bracelet); this concerns only some limited crimes which do not exceed 5 years imprisonment.
Q: Among the points that have stirred some strong reactions is to buy penalties with money, is that true?
A: We don’t tell people go and commit a crime then pay cash to get off the prison; the matter is not as easy as that. First this project bill concerns only simple crimes; second a prisoner should have spent some period of his sentence in jail; third the victim should have given up judiciary prosecution and fourth the prisoner should have proved a good behavior inside prison and should have repented on his actions then would be presented to the penitentiary administration and finally be eligible to pay what remains of his penalty. There are those who would pay MAD 50, others would pay MAD 3.000 per day depending on their income.
What is important, said Minister Ouahbi, is that the project bill is a legal step towards a legal legitimacy for the benefit of Moroccans. Debate about this project bill was positive and in citizens’ interest. The project bill will be presented to Parliament for discussion and be returned to the government for adoption.
