The president and former president of the Association of Bar Associations, Idriss Al-Shater, defended the proposal to create a national council for bar associations in Morocco, which is the controversial point in the new draft law for the profession.
Al-Shater stressed during his participation in a symposium for the federal lawyers sector organized today, Saturday, in Rabat, that the French experience proved the feasibility of the institution of the National Council, pointing out that the latter was the subject of a dispute between the captains and lawyers when it was created in France in 1990 and there was fear that the Council would withdraw the powers And the terms of reference of the local lawyers’ associations and their councils.
He added that, in contrast, after 33 years of experience, it became clear that this framework is one of the best frameworks that provided a lot to the profession in France, as it became the sole spokesman for lawyers, and it became empowered to express an opinion on various legislations related to lawyers, and it was able to unify internal laws between bodies. And the power of professional training for lawyers, as well as the acceptance of foreign lawyers instead of the Minister of Justice.
Al-Shater warned of the seriousness of the lack of a legal framework representing all lawyers in Morocco with the force of law and not just an association of lawyers’ associations, pointing to what caused the withdrawal of one of the bodies (the Casablanca Authority) in the recent elections from the association, until some people started talking about a representation of lawyers with “two heads”, according to recipe.
He added that this will not happen again “when there is a legal text that makes the Council an official spokesperson for all Moroccan lawyers’ associations.”
Al-Shater said that he proposes that the National Council be composed of the practicing captains and all members of the boards of the elected bodies, meaning that the membership will be temporary and linked to capacity and not for life.