Each of Morocco’s first five constitutions since independence began the same way: ‘Morocco is a constitutional democratic and social monarchy.’ The sixth Constitution in 2011 added the word ‘parliamentary’: ‘Le Maroc est une monarchie constitutionnelle, démocratique, parlementaire et sociale.’ The monarchy is very old: the current dynasty dates back to the mid-17th century and is the oldest surviving ruling family in the Arab countries. Tweet. The form of a constitutional monarchy was retained, and, towards the end of Hassan II’s reign and after the succession of his son Mohammed VI in 1999, the repression was eased. This study analyses initiatives undertaken in Morocco to support the management of critical risks. FEATURE STORY. The French did, however, maintain the institution of royal family and appointed another brother, Yusef, as sultan. The Constitution (Article 80) states that ‘The judicial authority is independent of the legislative power and of the executive power’ and that magistrates are not removable (Article 83). The Open Government Review of Morocco is the first of its kind analysing a country’s open government policies and practices and their institutional and legal frameworks for implementation against OECD instruments. Good governance is mainstreamed in all GIZ’s programmes in Morocco. The basic level includes first-instance courts, trade courts, and communal and district courts. Article 4 of the preceding (1996) Constitution said exactly the same thing, as did every previous Constitution (1992, 1972, 1970, and 1960), but the rule of law during the reign of his father was extremely circumscribed. Since independence, the civil- and criminal-law systems have been based on French, Spanish, and Islamic law, following French legal procedure. Increasing European hegemony led religiously inspired nationalists to overthrow him and replace him with one of his brothers, Abdelhafid. An overview of human rights in Morocco. This would permit the operation of a local autonomy plan for the Western Sahara: the two Saharan provinces would be empowered to use local resources to develop the infrastructure and improve the economic conditions. Full sessions are held in public. In the early days after Moroccan independence, the Soviet Union supplied a large amount of military equipment, most of which is no longer in service. The constitutional reforms undertaken by Morocco since the 2011 protests have modified legislative and institutional procedures, yet their real impact on governance needs to be assessed. Since the early 2000s a much closer relationship with the United States, part of the so-called ‘War on Terror’, has made possible a modernization programme, particularly of the Air Force, with an order for 24 F-16 fighter aircraft, some of which have been delivered. As a result, many were muted in their criticism and positioned themselves in the political centre. Governance Structure Conformément à la circulaire du Premier Ministre n°17/2009 du 21 Octobre 2009, le programme e-gouvernement a été doté d'une gouvernance reposant sur trois structures : Le Comité Interministériel e-gouvernement par abréviation CIGOV, présidé par le Ministre en charge de l’Industrie, du Commerce … Morocco has made access to drinking water a priority for many years. The Ministry of Justice recognizes that the level of judicial competence is generally low, a consequence of the poor training of judges by the National Institute of Judicial Studies, which lacks staff and resources, and because of shortcomings in court internships. Link / Embed. Islamic law too is codified, in the Mudawana. Corporate Governance in Transition Economies Morocco Country Report June 2016 Prepared by: Gian Piero Cigna Ahmed Meziou With the assistance of: Nestor Advisors . Morocco. The Moroccan army is notable for its large number of personnel and high level of training. In Morocco, internal demands for institutional reform backed by popular support have become a major lever in assisting to establish good governance in the country since early 2011. The Judicial It has not fought a conventional interstate war since the Algerian wars of the early 1960s. Both dynasties claimed their legitimacy ultimately from descent from the Prophet Muhammad, but that was a very large cohort. A new wave of parties emerged, many of them offshoots of second-generation parties. The 2011 Constitution, which was immediately the result of the Arab Spring movement, was the long-term consequence of this liberalizing trend. Not only do the elections constitute an evaluation of the success or failure of the constitutional reforms that Morocco adopted in 2011, but also a litmus test for ... What is the state of security today in Morocco? Most equipment has recently come from the United States; before that, the main supplier was France. The latter was first enacted in 1957 and modified in 2004 and is by far the most controversial (see Women). Because the decree legalizing unions did not explicitly forbid Moroccan workers from joining, the unions began to recruit Moroccans, until the Protectorate administration issued another decree forbidding it. Women have been recruited since the early 1980s. In 2018, military expenditure accounted for 3.1 per cent of GDP, compared with 3.2 per cent in both 2017 and 2016, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. At the same time, the French established what was effectively a three-part legal system in Morocco. Most significantly, under this new model the Saharan provinces would be brought together into two regions rather than shared between three provinces that also included parts of pre-1975 Morocco. That authority, baraka, is an inherited quality passed by genealogical descent from the founder of the Alaouite dynasty Moulay al-Cherif and his son Moulay al-Rashid (1666-1672), who seized power when the Saadi dynasty disintegrated in half a century of civil war. The main light tanks are French (AMX-13) and Austrian (SK-105 Kürassier). The Open Government Review of Morocco is the first of its kind analysing a country’s open government policies and practices and their institutional and legal frameworks for implementation against OECD instruments. Buy +/-/ 1000. In January 2010, King Mohammed VI set up a Consultative Commission on Regionalization, ostensibly to examine how administration, regional development, and finance functioned under these arrangements. In criminal cases, there are court-appointed defence lawyers for indigent defendants who act pro bono, but there are no public defenders. Overview of governance in Morocco: the monarchy, the executive, the legislative, the legal system, local government, military and police. Most of the population cannot afford legal services, as the average lawyer’s fee is equivalent to two to four weeks of the minimum wage. According to the Constitution, Parliament exercises legislative power and can validate the authority of the government. His authority is derived from his role as the political head of a community defined by belief. Tensions are already mounting between the main political parties. The party won the municipal elections in 2009, and, with 47 seats, came fourth in the 2011 parliamentary elections. The National Security includes various technical services, such as scientific and computer specialists. They included the National Rally of Independents (Rassemblement National des Indépendants, RNI; 1978), which backed away later from uncritical support of the King; the National Democratic Party (Parti National Démocratique PND; 1981), a centre-right party that split from the RNI; the Constitutional Union (Union Constitutionelle, UC; 1983), a centre-right party claiming to represent the post-independence generation; the Action Party (Parti de l’Action, PA; 1974), a Berber modernist party; and the Popular National Movement (Mouvement National Populaire, MNP; 1991), a centrist offshoot of the MP, led by one of its former leaders, Mahjoubi Aherdane. According to Article 6 of the 2011 Constitution, the law ‘is the supreme expression of the will of the Nation’. By bringing together a multitude of OECD instruments and expertise in different areas of public governance, the … The first political parties were founded during the Protectorate, before World War II. In August 2015, Morocco signed a deal with Russia to purchase its first submarine, an Amur-1650, worth $340 million. Some were Moroccan branches of French political parties based in the settler community, others were specifically Moroccan organizations. In this new paper, Mohamed Benhlal analyzes Morocco’s recent constitutional amendments, which seemed, on paper, to make significance progress towards good governance. The Transition Fund was launched at the WB-IMF last annual meetings in Tokyo by the G8 Deauville … Public Opinion The judicial system was subjected to interference by the authorities in political cases, and dissidents were arrested, held incommunicado for long periods, and tortured. He earned a BA in law at Rabat-Agdal University and a PhD in law from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, where he wrote his thesis on EEC-Maghrib relations. Morocco is currently under the Alaouite Dynasty and each King since 1666 has belonged to the Alaouite family. In this new paper, Mohamed Benhlal analyzes Morocco’s recent constitutional amendments, which seemed, on paper, to make significance progress towards good governance… In 1913, a decree (dahir) took all but civil cases out of the hands of the qadis (religiously educated judges), and reorganized the administration of justice in both jurisdictions along French lines. The October session is opened by the King. Parliament passes laws: legislative bills are submitted to both chambers, and if they do not adopt an identical text, the government sets up a joint committee with equal representation to establish it. OECD Public Governance Reviews; Open Government in Salé, Morocco OECD Public Governance Reviews This series includes international studies and country-specific reviews of government efforts to make the public sector more efficient, effective, innovative and responsive to citizens’ needs and expectations. The military forces’ extensive combat experience in the Western Sahara has given them operational expertise in desert warfare and combined air-land warfare. Morocco has one of the larger armed forces in the region but also one of the lowest budgets. Each session lasts for no more than four months. There are three levels of jurisdiction. The Monarchy According to recent reports, Moroccan jihadists are continuing to join IS in Libya and are in... Morocco is still without a government. Ministers can be questioned orally in both chambers, and a vote of no-confidence in the government can be passed. The Air Force relies on older French planes, mainly Mirage F1-C and F1-E acquired in the 1970s and 1980s and American F-5E Tiger. Women in particular are rarely aware of their rights. A second generation of parties was founded between the late 1960s and early 1980s, the most repressive period of Hassan II’s rule. A taoutiq judge (who handles notary issues and issues concerning minors), assisted by aduls (religiously-trained clerks), applies the personal law in the first-instance court. The death penalty (by firing squad) can be applied for aggravated murder, torture, armed robbery, arson, treason, desertion, and attempts on the king’s life; it also exists in the military courts. Elected regional councils would control the local budget, supported by an Interregional Solidarity Fund. Sultan Mohammed V was obliged to sign the Dahir, but it brought a storm of protest from Arab nationalists, who saw it as an attack on Islam, by degrading the Sharia. Since coming to the throne, King Mohammed VI has emphasized that the rule of law is a fundamental underpinning of his concept of a constitutional monarchy. In the end, the sultan, after changing his title to ‘King’ in 1956, won the post-independence struggle for power. The country’s forces have gained valuable experience as a result of political instability in North Africa, in particular the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south, as well as more limited experience as part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. Its 37 local districts are responsible for policing traffic in urban areas, policing large crowds (e.g., sports fixtures and concerts), and civil protection during emergencies. This can have the result of creating alternative legal solutions in certain areas. The Constitutional Court has the task of ensuring that laws passed by Parliament are in conformity with the Constitution. In 2019, Morocco ranked 61 out of 137 countries included in the annual GFP review. Benhlal makes important recommendations about political oversight, implementation of the rule of law and anti-corruption measures to ensure that these constitutional amendments will be more than a veil of good governance. The United States Government, through USAID, is working closely with different political actors – political parties, government entities, civil society organizations (CSO), and civil society as a whole – to help them build their capacities, facilitate citizen participation, and ensure sustainable participatory governance. Trade courts deal with commercial and business disputes with a value under a specific amount. The underlying reason seems to have been to provide a possible solution to the Western Sahara question. The conservative Independence Party trailed in third place with 43 seats. There are also specialized tribunals: a commercial court system that hears commercial cases involving large sums, with its own system of appeals; administrative courts that deal with initial cases involving the public authorities; independent audit courts that operate at the central and regional levels; and a separate Standing Tribunal of the Royal Armed Forces.