Latest news with #MoroccanFamilyCode
Morocco World
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Scholars Envision the Future of Morocco's Moudawana in Fez
Rabat – Legal scholars, policymakers, and civil society representatives will convene at the Private University of Fez (UPF) on Saturday, April 12, for a pivotal conference on the Moroccan family code. Hosted by the Higher Institute of Political and Legal Sciences, the event aims to spark critical discussions on the future of Morocco's Family Code and its adaptation to the country's evolving social and legal landscape. The highly anticipated conference will take place at the 'Professor Rachid Yazami Conference Hall' on the UPF campus, and will be led by Professor Mohammed Jamal Maatouk, a renowned law professor and legal advisor known for his insightful analyses on legislative reforms. A diverse audience, including Judges, lawyers, legal scholars, researchers, journalists, and students, as well as activists working on family justice and gender equality will notably gather to discuss the theme What Family Code Do We Dream Of? Also encouraging the attendance of members of the public to take part in this critical dialogue, the conference seeks to hold space for new perspectives on legislative modernization while respecting Morocco's legal traditions. Introduced in 2004, the Moroccan Family Code, or Moudawana, underwent significant reforms in December 2024. But discussions on further amendments continue as scholars and activists argue that certain aspects of the law should be updated to reflect new social realities, gender dynamics, and international legal frameworks. Professor Maatouk is expected to address the legislation's potential evolution in response to societal changes, legal advancements, and institutional reforms in Morocco. Tags: Moroccan Family CodemoudawanaPrivate University of Fez
Ya Biladi
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
Morocco : DNA confirms parentage in El Attaouia gang rape case
After a new hearing this Wednesday afternoon in Marrakech, as part of the trial of three defendants in the repeated gang rape of a minor with a mental disability in El Attaouia, the judges are now deliberating. Activists have asked the criminal chamber of first instance at the Court of Appeal to consider the DNA test results ordered by the prosecution after the 13-year-old gave birth. Added to the case file on February 12, this evidence confirms the biological link between the newborn and one of the three defendants, aged 60 to 72, who are being prosecuted in detention. Omar Arbib, President of the local section of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH-Marrakech Menara), told Yabiladi that the «scientific evidence» against them is irrefutable, and «must lead to tougher penalties». On the eve of Wednesday's hearing, the NGO, which has become a civil party, reiterated its «firm condemnation» of the acts in question and the «violation of human dignity» they represent. The minor gave birth at the Kelâa des Sraghna hospital on January 10. «The civil party is now represented by 18 lawyers», Arbib confirmed. Considering the new facts, the NGO demanded «that the indictment be legally adapted to ensure the child's right to an identity, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, specifically Article 7, which stipulates that the child must be registered immediately after birth and has the right to a name, a nationality, and, as far as possible, the right to know their parents». The main defendant is being prosecuted under articles 471, 475-2, 485, and 488 of the Penal Code for the abduction of a minor with a mental disability, and rape with violence leading to the loss of the hymen. The second is charged with abduction of a minor and rape with violence, under articles 471, 475-2, and 485. The third faces penalties under articles 471, 475-2, and 485 of the same text. The association has called for «more severe and deterrent penalties», to make this trial «exemplary in its response to crimes that constitute serious human rights violations, with guarantees of reparation for the victim, her child, and her family». This trial is unfolding in a context where the use of DNA testing as proof of parentage is debated, both in the application of penal provisions and in the reform of the Moroccan Family Code. In this case, the association believes that the proceedings highlight «the need for an overhaul of the Penal Code, which must expressly recognize pedocriminality and the rape of minors as physical and psychological sexual violence», while ensuring «the best interests of the child». Along the same lines, the NGO argued that «any refusal or circumvention of the obligation to prove parentage by DNA testing in amendments that could be introduced into the Family Code would render these amendments meaningless, perpetuating inequalities that ignore the rights of victims and the best interests of the child». In the same vein, the association called for the implementation of «a large number of the recommendations made to Morocco, following the adoption by the Human Rights Council in March 2023 of the Universal Periodic Review report». These recommendations total 306, more than 30 of which specifically address children's rights.
