Rule of Law Initiative Programs - Morocco

Women and the Law

Tétouan, Nov 2005, a Capacity Building Session on the ‘‘Key Principles of Equality’’

The program works to strengthen the role and effectiveness of Moroccan women legal professionals and to harness their potential to further the promotion of women's rights. The program has organized training and capacity building activities for Moroccan non-governmental organizations, and over 500 women legal professionals and civil society members on Morocco's new family code, as well as other relevant issues including women's rights in Islam, and international standards and conventions on women's legal rights. Moreover, the program has developed a database of over 2000 Moroccan women legal professionals, which serves as an invaluable networking tool both for Moroccan lawyers, judges, and civil society members within Morocco and their counterparts in the region.

 

 

Judicial Development

The ABA has partnered with the Moroccan Ministry of Justice, the Institut Supérieur de la Magistrature (ISM), and civil society groups to promote a more effective and independent judiciary. The program has produced comprehensive reports and public perception surveys on the state of the Moroccan judicial system, supported the formation of the first Moroccan civil society organization, Adala, focused on promoting judicial independence, trained a new generation of judge trainers on ways to improve the effectiveness of their judicial training programs, and contributed to the reform of the penal code.  In addition, the ABA is providing assistance with efforts underway at promulgating a code of conduct for Moroccan judges.

 

Human Rights Clinical Legal Education

Morocco Human Rights Clinic Graduation Ceremony

The Middle East and North Africa Division has established a human rights clinical and legal education program in Morocco at the law faculty of the University of Hassan II - Mohammedia. The clinical program is the first of its kind in the region, linking practical skills training with the substantive study of law. The program, known as Le Centre de Conseil et d'Assistance Juridique pour les Droits Humains (The Legal Assistance Center for Human Rights) offers substantive training sessions for students and recent law graduates in human rights, labor law, and practical legal skills. Participants in the program follow their substantive and practical legal skills training with live-client legal consultations offered to indigent Moroccan citizens. Students have provided legal services and advice to workers for a number of labor-related employment violations, and have undertaken a series of public legal education initiatives on labor rights.