Video – Minister of Justice Abdellatif Ouahbi guest of “dialogue in depth” show broadcast by Moroccan e-paper Al Omq sheds light on current issues of great concerns to Morocco public opinion

Minister of Justice Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi was the guest of “dialogue in depth” show broadcast on Friday June 23, 2023, by Moroccan e-paper Al Omq, in which the Minister has responded with his usual frankness and boldness to questions about lawyers’ profession exam, penal code bill, alternative punishments, communication among the government majority, PAM internal matters, and relationship with the Moroccan Islamic movement, the PJD.

Main points from the interview as follows:

On the question about lawyers’ profession exam, Minister Ouahbi has clarified that “dealing with this topic will raise a problem, in both cases either I refuse or I accept to respond to your question, but let me tell you that the government chief has presented an instruction based on a recommendation from Ombudsman, but the political decision or rather the administrative decision remains with the Minister.. In Morocco, as all over the world, there is the problem of joblessness, and so hiring only one person is considered as national gain. We will reopen the door for lawyers’ exam and we will see what the exam will give as a result”.

The minister has reiterated that “the exam will be organized next July with the same conditions as the previous one, written then oral exams and be based on the Canadian pattern. In the last exam the number of lawyers who have passed the exam was increased from 1400 to 2000, this time I have set up a committee and added the Ombudsman office to monitor lawyers’ exam… we take into consideration lawyers’ condition and their numbers. There will be an exam but in the context of an institution of course if it were included into the budget bill”.

On the delay of the penal code bill, Minister Ouahbi has assured that “the bill is ready but awaits only some government measures and also there is a big debate about the procedure as it contains many new texts that need a new penal code procedure. We have finished the penal code bill with the government secretary general and thanks for his efforts and his legislative managing competency along with senior executives working under his supervision”.

Regarding the bill about illicit enrichment, Minister Ouahbi has confirmed that “the Higher Council of Accounts (audit) and the General Prosecutor Office will carry out the mission in this regard”.
Concerning alternative punishments, Minister Ouahbi said that “the state wants to solve the problem of 90 thousand people in custody and if we don’t think about alternative punishments, then we have to build new prisons”.

On the government communication problem, Minister Ouahbi has confirmed that “there is a crisis of marketing this government results.. However, with the current government, we wanted to get out of the culture of political discourse to the level of the government working practice with calm; a lot of work and less talk”.

On speculation of prices of foodstuff, Minister Ouahbi has asserted that “we are discussing this problem with calm and we need many years to solve it.. as we are coming closer to Eid Al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice, for the first time, the government has decided to import muttons from several European countries with the amount of approximately one million; this is because we have been suffering of severe drought”.

On PAM internal matters, Minister Ouahbi has said that “I have no fears as current PAM Secretary General about the orchestrated comeback of Ilyas El Omari, former PAM SG; however, he has no relations with the party administration and its secretariat general, but if he desires to come back let him be welcome: it’s the national council and the convention which will make the decision; decision-making is controlled by the party apparatus”.

In response to a question about Mrs. Fatima Zahra Mansouri (President of the party national council), Mr. Ouahbi has stated that “Mrs. Mansouri doesn’t desire to become the party SG and from my side, I have no problem with her we have very good relations and I consult with her on many issues. She is a colleague and a friend and she is also a lawyer so we meet in the professional scope and we don’t have any problem of who will become PAM SG and if she wants to become SG of the party I will be the first one to support her and it’s excellent to have a lady as secretary general of the party”.

On PJD viewpoint regarding consensual relationship between male and female, Minister Ouahbi stated that “Islamists do not care about consensual relationship but they interpret falsely my discourse for political reasons. He said that Islamists have no problem with many issues in terms of penal code including extra-marriage consensual relations; their main goal is political gain. They just don’t care about those issues but they search only to create a political power for the sake of elections and they have actually found in this topic a kind of compass to bring them together.. They are looking for pretexts to create a front and coalition with the goal of preparing for upcoming elections”.