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Thursday, November 30, 2023
Speech by President Delegate on the Occasion of the Third Meeting of Arab Association of Prosecutors General Convened in the Kingdom of Morocco.

Marrakech, November 30, 2023

In the name of Allah, the Merciful. Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon His Messenger, his family, and his noble Companions

First of all, I am delighted to be in your company, given the symbolic significance of the fraternal ties that exist among us Arabs conveyed by this gathering. It reflects the unity among members of the public ministries in the Arab world dedicated to the cause of justice. I hope you have an enjoyable stay in this city, which is still recovering from the aftermath of September 8th.

I would like to seize this moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the King's Prosecutor General, President of the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Kingdom of Morocco, for graciously inviting me to participate in the opening session of this international gathering. This event is being held concurrently with the third annual meeting of the Arab Association of Prosecutors General, which Morocco is honored to be hosting.

Ladies and Gentlemen;

In addressing the Moroccan government's efforts to combat corruption, it is essential to highlight a trajectory marked by insight and advancement, with a commitment from all national institutions, spearheaded by the judiciary. These endeavors align with the royal directives, with the engagement of public policies based on transparent and streamlined procedures, easing the process for filing complaints, improving reporting mechanisms for corrupt activities, and demonstrating the judiciary's strict approach to handling corruption and embezzlement cases. Consequently, these measures have bolstered confidence among both domestic economic stakeholders and international investors, yielding tangible benefits.

As you are aware, the battle against corruption is not a temporary endeavor tied to executing an action plan, accomplishing a specific reform, or implementing recommendations. Instead, it is an ongoing process that demands the continual improvement of mechanisms and operational approaches, ensuring our ability to stay ahead in combating organized crime.

Considering the vital role undertaken by the judicial authorities in combating the crimes under discussion in this meeting, our comprehensive and shared understanding of the challenges and limitations confronted by the authorities can be viewed as a fundamental contribution to attaining the desired effectiveness in combating these crimes. Foremost among these challenges is unquestionably the administration of judicial affairs.

Moreover, given the information accessible to judicial authorities and the competences they are tasked with in terms of enforcing the law and conducting judicial investigations into offenses such as money laundering, financial corruption, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, and other forms of organized crime, along with the issuance of judicial rulings and decisions; and given their involvement in international judicial cooperation in implementation of the agreements concluded by our country; it was imperative to develop the techniques of judicial administration to keep abreast of all the judicial authorities' prerogatives, ensuring that it does not compromise the universal principle of their independence.

Along the same line, the CSPJ, in the exercise of its constitutional responsibilities to uphold judicial security and achieve judicial efficiency, has fulfilled its commitment outlined in its Strategic Plan, which involves the revitalization of its administrative frameworks through the establishment of specialized structures dedicated to overseeing criminal cases, aiming to:

  1. Establish better communication with courts’ legal work: through acquiring necessary information to formulate and execute programs aimed at enhancing judicial efficiency in the combat against crime, especially those crimes under consideration in this meeting. In this regard, CSPJ shall oversee adherence to the judicial calendar and reasonable timelines for case resolution or the enforcement of judicial decisions. This includes monitoring the evolution of crime and its methods through obtaining information and data on criminal cases relevant to the State's public policies or subject to international scrutiny, such as corruption crimes, in application of the Kingdom's international obligations.
  2. Ensuring judicial security and overseeing compliance with fair trial standards by actively contributing to and publishing jurisprudence and legal information related to the battle against corruption and organized crime, fostering awareness of human rights among legal practitioners, identifying legal and practical challenges within criminal justice, proposing solutions to overcome these challenges, and creating guides and legal explanations on the topic.
  3. Moralization of the judiciary: the CSPJ places significant emphasis on fostering ethical standards within the judicial system and elevating judges’ moral conduct, while recognizing the pivotal role of moral standards in upholding principles of justice and fairness, and in allowing conscience to regulate conduct, which supports and reinforces legal responsibility. Thus, the CSPJ has developed a Code of Judicial deontology outlining ethical principles that judges must adhere to namely, independence, integrity, impartiality, and more. To ensure compliance, the CSPJ has established mechanisms for monitoring, disseminating, and overseeing the application of these principles. This involves a dedicated Committee on Ethics and Judges’ Independence, along with Ethics Advisors—respected judicial officials from various regions of the Kingdom—who support the CSPJ in executing this mission, ultimately contributing to the integrity of the judiciary.
    Ladies and Gentlemen;

The CSPJ aspires to see its renewed dynamic reflected in judicial practices, particularly in elevating the application of substantive and procedural laws related to offenses constituting various forms of corruption. This initiative is part of the CSPJ’s oversight of judicial activities conducted by relevant bodies, marked by a consistent increase. Moreover, the CSPJ aligns itself with a comprehensive national public policy dedicated to combating corruption, fostering ethical standards in public life, and reinforcing the principles of good governance and the values of responsible citizenship. This commitment is in line with the explicit directives of His Majesty, as underscored in His royal address to the nation during the seventeenth-anniversary of Throne Day. HM emphasized that "the fight against corruption is a joint responsibility of the State and society. The State uses its apparatus to activate legal measures to combat this perilous phenomenon and criminalize all its forms in order to rigorously punish wrongdoers”. Thus, the battle against corruption holds a prominent place in the criminal policy enacted by the Public Prosecutor's Office of the Kingdom of Morocco. It stands as a key focus of the judiciary, with the intention of leveraging this effort to achieve the core principles of justice, namely advancing societal well-being, and actively contributing to the fight against crime while safeguarding the various dimensions of the social system, encompassing economic, security, cultural, and developmental aspects.

In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude once again to everyone who played a role in making this high-level professional meeting possible. I extend my prayers for its success and wish all participants a delightful stay in your second country.

Address

Section16, CP 1789, Hay Riyad, Rabat

Phone
  • +212 537 73 95 40/41
  • +212 537 72 13 37
Email of the General-Secretariat of the Council

sg@cspj.ma

Complaints Phone Number
  • +212 537 91 93 05