RABAT: Thousands of lawyers demonstrated on Friday outside Morocco’s parliament in Rabat, calling for the withdrawal of a draft law they said threatened their immunity and independence.
Dressed in black robes, they waved banners and chanted slogans against the bill, which is currently under parliamentary review.
The government has presented the draft law as a means of “modernizing” the legal profession with anti-corruption measures.
But the lawyers say some of its provisions could curtail their protections.
A main point of contention is the provision to grant the courts direct disciplinary power over lawyers. Normally, disciplinary matters are handled internally by the bar association.
“Our demand is simply the withdrawal of the draft law,” said Omar Mahmoud Bendjelloun, 49, from the Moroccan bar association, adding that the bill would “subjugate” the legal profession.
Lawyer Karima Salama, 47, called for “a participatory approach” to reforming the profession.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said during a parliamentary session on Tuesday that he was “ready to renounce, modify or reform anything that harms lawyers.”
Still, the minister insisted that “lawyering needs to change, and I will implement that change.”