Morocco’s decision to continue a nationwide boycott of professional services by lawyers has triggered growing divisions within the profession, with some attorneys opposing further escalation and disruption to court proceedings.
The decision by the Association of Moroccan Bar Associations is expected to deepen divisions among some bar associations, particularly as calls grow to resume work following the entry into force of the new law regulating the legal profession.
Several lawyers are reportedly preparing to break with the strike and return to court, particularly in Casablanca, according to Hespress AR sources.
The sources said some lawyers are expected to resume work Tuesday, Sept. 1, following the end of the judicial recess.
Members of the Casablanca Bar Association have expressed concern that some of their colleagues could defy the association’s decision and return to work, as happened during previous stages of the dispute.
Fatima Zahra El Ibrahimi, a lawyer with the Casablanca Bar Association, publicly announced that she would resume her professional duties Tuesday.
“I have taken my position since the law was enacted,” El Ibrahimi wrote on her official Facebook page. “I decided to end the work stoppage and return to practicing my professional duties as of Sept. 1, immediately after the judicial recess, out of respect for institutions, the Constitution, the law and the oath we all took.”
El Ibrahimi said her position was shared by several former heads of the Casablanca Bar Association, including former bar presidents Chahbi and Drmiche, as well as members of the association’s council.
She also cited former Justice Minister Mustapha Ramid and lawyer Abdelkebir Tabeih, a former head of the Justice and Legislation Committee and a member of the Casablanca Bar Association’s council and the association’s executive office, as among those favoring a return to work.
El Ibrahimi said the Casablanca Bar Association had opposed continuing the work stoppage during Thursday’s meeting of the association’s executive office.
She said she and other lawyers would return to Casablanca courts on Sept. 1, wearing their professional robes and attending hearings “in full respect of the law and the Constitution.”
The Association of Moroccan Bar Associations has not yet indicated that it will reverse its decision to continue the boycott.
Sources told Hespress that the work stoppage could continue for up to two weeks, after which the association is expected to hold another meeting to determine its next steps.
Some members of the association’s executive office are reportedly advocating a return to work in the coming days and negotiations with the next government over possible amendments to the law.
They argue that continuing the strike during an election period, when there is no clear government counterpart available for negotiations, could harm the interests of litigants, particularly people held in pretrial detention.
The dispute comes after Law No. 66.23 regulating the legal profession entered into force on Aug. 20 following its publication in Morocco’s Official Gazette.
The Association of Moroccan Bar Associations has continued its boycott despite the law’s enactment, maintaining pressure over its concerns regarding the legislation.
The post Lawyers in Casablanca prepare to resume work despite national strike decision appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News.
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