Morocco Lawyers’ Strike: September 20 Meeting Could Shape the Next Phase

17:20

Morocco’s legal profession is approaching a critical juncture as the Association of Bar Associations of Morocco (ABAM) prepares to meet in Rabat on September 20 to determine the next phase of its months-long strike.

The date carries particular significance because it coincides with the closing stage of the electoral campaign ahead of Morocco’s September 23 legislative elections. The lawyers’ leadership is therefore expected to assess not only the evolution of its dispute with the outgoing government, but also the positions expressed by political parties during the campaign.

The ABAM decided on September 10 to maintain the nationwide stoppage, which has been ongoing since June 15. The association said the decision was taken unanimously and scheduled the September 20 meeting to reassess the situation and determine whether the movement should continue or whether professional activities could resume.

Dispute extends beyond the law itself

At the heart of the confrontation is the legislation governing the legal profession. Lawyers have raised objections to several provisions of the reform, arguing that they could affect the independence and self-regulation of the profession.

However, the dispute has increasingly moved beyond the substance of the legislation. ABAM President Hussein Ziani has emphasized that the profession is also challenging what it considers an inadequate institutional approach to decisions concerning the legal profession.

According to Ziani, the issue is therefore linked both to the content of the reform and to the way consultations and institutional commitments were handled. Recent reporting indicates that the association maintains that understandings reached during dialogue were not fully reflected in the final legislative process.

The law’s publication has consequently failed to bring the confrontation to an end. The ABAM has continued to call for an institutional solution and has left open the possibility of renewed dialogue with public authorities.

Eyes on the political transition

The September 20 meeting will take place only days before the legislative vote, adding a political dimension to an already prolonged professional dispute.

The lawyers’ leadership is expected to examine the positions adopted by political parties during the campaign and consider what prospects exist for dialogue with the government that will emerge from the electoral process. The future administration could therefore become a central factor in determining whether the strike continues.

For the moment, however, the ABAM has made clear that the stoppage remains in force. Ziani has also rejected reports of a major internal split, maintaining that the association's decisions have been reached through consensus.

The situation has nevertheless had wider consequences for the justice system. The continuation of the strike has contributed to repeated postponements of court hearings, affecting civil, criminal, commercial, social and family cases.

Suspension or continuation?

The September 20 gathering could therefore become an important turning point. One possible outcome is a continuation of the strike while the profession waits for greater clarity about the composition and priorities of the next government. Another is a temporary suspension designed to create space for institutional dialogue.

No decision has been announced in advance, and the ABAM has formally reserved the right to determine its next course after reviewing developments.

What is clear is that the lawyers’ dispute has entered a new phase. After months of confrontation, the profession is now looking beyond the outgoing government and toward the political landscape that will follow the September elections. The decision taken in Rabat on September 20 will provide an important indication of whether the standoff moves toward renewed negotiations or another period of disruption in Morocco’s justice system.