Justice minister dedicates first family law section

Justice minister, Mohammed Bouzoubaa, dedicated in Casablanca on Friday the first family law section in a Casablanca first instance tribunal.

The section, said the minister is the first step in implementing instructions issued by king Mohammed VI to set forth reforms to the family law.

Bouzoubaa said similar sections will be set up in all Moroccan tribunals to guarantee fairness and equity in handling families cases. The sovereign issued in a letter to the justice minister orders to set up family justice facilities in Moroccan courts, as a provisional measure pending the announcement of a decision on this project. The sovereign further instructed the minister to ensure the new judicial system staff training and to make proposals for appointing a committee of experts to draft a practical guidebook on relevant provisions and rules pertaining to the family judicial system, to serve as a single source of reference.

The court president told MAP reforms introduced in the family law are based on daily facts and figures. The number of cases involving polygamy decreased from 42 in 2002 to 30 in 2003, early marriage (2 cases in 2003 against 10 in 2002) and marriages between Moroccans and foreigners (97 cases against 147 last year).

The creation of special jurisdiction to handle family disputes was among the reforms announced last Friday by the sovereign in his landmark speech opening the parliament's fall session.