Morocco: Trust in Morocco's Courts Strengthens, but Access to Legal Aid Remains a Challenge

12 December 2025
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Richard Kweitsu

Most citizens express confidence that ordinary people can obtain justice in the courts.

Key findings

  • Almost three-fourths (73%) of Moroccans say they feel "somewhat confident" or "very confident" that ordinary people can obtain justice in the courts.
  • Majorities see it as "somewhat likely" or "very likely" that they could obtain a fair (72%) and timely (58%) resolution to a court case. But fewer than half (45%) think they could probably afford to take a case to court.
  • Only three in 10 (31%) say they are aware of legal-aid services that are available in their community.
  • Most citizens say they would turn to the police (55%) or a family member (12%) to resolve a legal problem, while only 10% would look to a local court.
  • Almost three-fourths (73%) of Moroccans say they trust the courts "somewhat" or "a lot," more than twice the proportion recorded in 2013 (34%).
  • The share of citizens who perceive corruption in the judiciary has decreased significantly, though a majority (57%) still say that at least "some" judges and magistrates are corrupt.
  • A majority of Moroccans say it is rare or unheard of that people are treated unequally under the law (59%), that officials who break the law go unpunished (54%), and that judges and magistrates decide cases based on the influence of powerful people (57%), though sizeable minorities see these abuses as common occurrences.
  • Seven in 10 Moroccans (70%) say the death penalty is a fair punishment for the most serious crimes.

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Access to justice for all is one of the fundamental principles of the rule of law (United Nations, 2019). Access to justice guarantees that all individuals are protected and the powerful are held accountable.

In line with its constitutional guarantees of access to justice for all individuals irrespective of their social, economic, or political status (Kingdom of Morocco, 2011), Morocco launched an ambitious reform agenda under its 2013 Charter for Judicial System Reform. The plan aimed to increase judicial independence, reduce corruption, strengthen protection of human rights, and improve efficiency.

More recently, with support from the European Union and the Council of Europe, the government has undertaken the MA-JUST reform programme (2024-2027) to enhance access to justice, with particular attention to vulnerable populations, and improve the efficiency of the judicial system (Council of Europe, 2024). The initiative focuses on judicial modernisation to improve access to legal information and legal-aid services and enhance physical access to courts. It supports the modernisation of judicial statistics to enable central judicial institutions to identify and address systemic dysfunctions. The project has introduced digital tools to modernise court operations and strengthen coordination among judicial actors.

Yet critics say that many challenges persist, including violations of fair-trial principles, overcrowding in prisons, and barriers to justice for the vulnerable (Avocats Sans Frontières, 2025). The United Nations Human Rights Committee (2016) has noted concerns about prolonged police custody periods, prison overcrowding, and reports of torture and degrading treatment. A coalition of lawyers and NGOs has long sought the release of prisoners it says were convicted on the basis of confessions obtained under torture (International Federation for Human Rights, 2022).

In 2024, Morocco ranked 92nd out of 142 countries on the World Justice Project's (2024) Rule of Law Index.

This dispatch reports findings from a special survey module on access to justice included in Afrobarometer's Round 10 surveys.

Findings show that a majority of Moroccans think ordinary people can obtain justice in the courts but doubt that they themselves could afford to take a case to court. Few are aware of legal-aid services available in their community.

Public trust in the courts has increased sharply in recent years, and perceptions of corruption have decreased, though a majority still see at least some judges and magistrates as corrupt.

Majorities say that people are treated equally under the law and that political influence on judges' decisions is rare.

A majority of citizens support the death penalty for the most serious crimes.

Richard Kweitsu Richard Kweitsu is a PhD student in political science at the University of Florida.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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