King Mohammed wants highest standards of public conduct from all officials

Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Wednesday called on the government to study the situation of the Special Court of Justice, a jurisdiction set up in 1972 to rule on charges of corruption, trading of influence and public or private property skimming against executives or magistrates.

"We order Our government to study the situation of the Special Court of Justice and to submit to us proposals and conclusions," said King Mohammed VI in a speech he gave at the opening of the judiciary year.

The king stressed the need to "set in place a jurisdiction specialized in financial offenses, in order to increase standards of public conduct of officials, protect public finances against all kinds of corrupt practices and engrain in the minds the culture and ethics of accountability."

"Our objective is to create a specialized justice that, in addition to an efficient settlement of disputes, will guarantee the right to a fair trial and to citizens' equality before the law in all circumstances and in all cases," he said.