In his opening speech, the First-President of the Court of Cassation, President Delegate of the Supreme Council of the Judicial Power, Mr. M’hammed Abdenabaoui, highlighted the prominent role that high courts play in different judicial systems in order to ensure the quality and fairness of judgments rendered by lower courts. They play a major part in the development and examination of the law and the interpretation of legal rules for lower courts, as well as shed the light on legal ambiguities.

The President Delegate emphasized the roles high courts continue to perform today, for they are the cornerstone of judicial systems worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to preserve the judicial memory of these courts, stay abreast of their institutions' progress, and collect the major events they witness, so as to shape the future. The President Delegate invited the guests to watch a video illustrating the major judicial reforms currently taking place in the Kingdom under the High Patronage of HM the King, may Allah bless Him.

For his part, the President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Benin, AHJUCAF President, Mr. Victor Dassi Adossou, lauded and welcomed the role that the Court of Cassation and the Supreme Council of the Judicial Power of Morocco played in the organization of this important international seminar which aims at exploring ways to preserve the judicial and legal heritage of high courts of member states.

Mr. Adossou added that the focused efforts of AHJUCAF courts in collecting memory and searching for the judiciary's heritage, documents, and archives in these courts aim to compose a collective memory that shall constitute a bedrock of the virtual collective memory project.

It is worth noting that the international seminar on “History of the High Courts” strives to preserve and promote the judicial and legal heritage of high courts along three main axes: justice venues (palaces, chambers, legal ornaments and symbols, art…), make an inventory of judicial rituals (costumes, work tools, …), and delve deeper in the main historical judgments issued by each high court.

In this regard, the guests paid a visit to the judicial museum at the Court of Cassation, which houses artifacts of the Moroccan judiciary across history and exemplifies the Addoul courts in several Moroccan regions, including the Moroccan Sahara Desert.

The museum is rich with documents and pictures that speak volumes about the consideration of HM King Mohammed VI, may Allah bless Him, and that of the late HM Hassan II and HM Mohammed V, may the Almighty envelope them in mercy and forgiveness. The museum also showcases judgments and documents, some of which date back centuries ago.

It is also noteworthy to mention that the Court of Cassation’s museum is the only one of its kind in all of AHJUCAF’s high courts.