The House’s Committee on Justice, Legislation, and Human Rights approved Bill No. 66.23 by six votes to none, with one abstention. Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi attended the session.
The vote comes as tensions continue between the Justice Ministry and the Association of Moroccan Bar Associations (ABAM), whose members have staged an open sit-in outside parliament in protest against several provisions of the draft law.
Lawyers argue that the bill weakens the profession’s independence, particularly through provisions governing disciplinary proceedings. They also oppose plans to place lawyers’ training under the supervision of the Justice Ministry and changes to admission rules, including lowering the maximum age for candidates sitting the qualifying examination.
The nationwide strike has disrupted court proceedings across Morocco, forcing many hearings to be postponed for weeks and adding to a growing judicial backlog. The delays have particularly affected defendants in custody or pretrial detention, whose court appearances have been repeatedly rescheduled.
ABAM has vowed to intensify its protest campaign as the legislation continues its parliamentary process.
