Morocco, Israel Justice Ministries Sign MoU

A memorandum of understanding on the strengthening and promotion of bilateral cooperation in the legal field, was signed, Tuesday in Rabat, between the Ministries of Justice of the Kingdom of Morocco and the State of Israel. This memorandum, signed by Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi and his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar, aims to strengthen cooperation in order to promote the professional activities of the authorities in charge of justice in both countries and to define a practical framework for their future joint activities, while stressing the importance of exchanging experiences and best practices in judicial administration. It is also meant to strengthen and promote bilateral cooperation in the legal field on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, as well as to establish a common consensus and identify areas of cooperation according to the capabilities of both parties. Under this agreement, the two parties also intend to strengthen the mutual understanding of their legal systems, promote bilateral cooperation especially in terms of harmonization of national legislation with international standards, international judicial assistance in civil and criminal matters. Speaking on this occasion, Ouahbi said that this agreement aims to establish a mechanism for exploring ways of cooperation in the areas of exchange of information and experience, the organization of working meetings between experts and delegations of both parties, noting that the achievement of justice and respect for the law necessarily requires the exchange of experiences and best practices in this area. Ouahbi added that his department aspires to strengthen the channels of cooperation in other judicial areas, stressing the importance of promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the field of justice. For his part, the Israeli Minister of Justice said that the memorandum of understanding between the two ministries opens up prospects for cooperation between the two countries in the judicial field, and allows both sides to exchange knowledge and experience in modernization and digital transformation of judicial procedures. The partnership includes coordination in the field of counter-terrorism and extremism and the fight against organized crime and human trafficking, developing skills and strengthening long-term relationships, he noted. He added that both parties aspire, through the memorandum, to launch the project of digitalization in order to reduce the gap in access to justice through the use of technology, stressing that both parties are involved in a project related to the use of judicial procedures and alternative sentencing, with the aim of alleviating the pressure of work in the courts and prisons of both countries. The signing of this memorandum of understanding is part of the relations of friendship and cooperation between the authorities in charge of justice in both countries, and their willingness to deepen these ties.