House of Representatives Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami has referred Morocco’s newly approved bill regulating the legal profession to the Constitutional Court for a constitutional review shortly after lawmakers adopted the legislation.
Talbi Alami exercised his constitutional prerogative to request that the court examine whether the bill complies with the Constitution before it proceeds further in the legislative process.
Legal observers say the review could either confirm the constitutionality of the legislation or require amendments if the court finds that certain provisions conflict with the Constitution.
The Constitutional Court is expected to issue its decision in the coming days.
The referral comes amid continuing opposition from the Association of Moroccan Bar Associations (ABAM), which has pledged to maintain its open-ended strike against the bill.
The association said it would continue its sit-in outside Parliament in Rabat while monitoring developments in the legislative process and preparing the next phase of its protest campaign.
ABAM also announced plans to expand demonstrations across Morocco’s regions and reaffirmed its decision to suspend professional services nationwide.
The association said it also intends to initiate what it described as international legal proceedings before July 15.
The proposed legislation has triggered weeks of protests by lawyers, who argue that several provisions would undermine the independence of the legal profession, particularly those relating to disciplinary procedures and the governance of bar associations.
