Constitution

Morocco 2011 Constitution

Table of Contents

Title VIII. Of the Constitutional Court

Article 129

A Constitutional Court is instituted.

Article 130

The Constitutional Court is composed of twelve members appointed for a mandate of nine years non-renewable. Six members are designated by the King, of which one member is proposed by the Secretary General of the Superior Council of the Ulema, and six members are elected, half by the Chamber of Representatives, [and] half by the Chamber of Councilors from among the candidates presented by the Bureau of each Chamber, at the end of a vote by secret ballot and with the majority of two-thirds of the members composing each Chamber.

If the two Chambers of Parliament or one of them do not elect the members specified within the legal time required for the renewal, the Court exercises their attributions and renders its decisions on the basis of a quorum not counting the members not re-elected.

Each category of members is renewed by thirds every three years.

The President of the Constitutional Court is appointed by the King, from among the members composing the Court.

The members of the Constitutional Court are chosen from among the notable persons disposing of a high attainment of knowledge [formation] in the juridical domain and of a judicial competence, doctrinal or administrative, having exercised their profession for more than fifteen years, and recognized for their impartiality and their probity.

Article 131

An organic law determines the rules of organization and of functioning of the Constitutional Court, as well as the procedure which is followed before it and the situation of its members.

It determines equally the incompatible functions, of which[,] notably[,] are those relative to the liberal professions, establishes the conditions of the two first triennial renewals and the modalities of replacement of the members impeached [empeches], [who] have resigned, or [who] have died in the course of the mandate.

Article 132

The Constitutional Court exercises the attributions which are devolved on it by the Articles of the Constitution and the provisions of the organic laws. It decides, moreover, on the regularity of the election of the members of Parliament and of the operations of referendum.

The organic laws before their promulgation and the regulations of the Chamber of Representatives and of the Chamber of Councilors, before their implementation, must be submitted to the Constitutional Court which decides on their conformity to the Constitution.

To the same ends, the laws, before their promulgation, may be deferred to the Constitutional Court by the King, the Head of Government, the President of the Chamber of Representatives, the President of the Chamber of Councilors, or by one-fifth of the members of the Chamber of Representatives or forty members of the Chamber of Councilors.

In the case provided for in the second and third paragraphs of this Article, the Constitutional Court decides within a time of one month counting from its referral to [the matter]. However, at the demand of the government, if there is urgency, this time is reduced to eight days.

In these same cases, the referral of [the matter] to the Constitutional Court suspends the time period for promulgation.

It decides on the regularity of the election of the members of the Parliament within a time of one year, counting from the date of expiration of the legal time of recourse. However, the Court can decide beyond this time, by substantiated decision, in the case where the number of recourses or their nature requires it.

Article 133

The Constitutional Court is competent to take cognizance of a pleading [exception] of unconstitutionality raised in the course of a process, when it is maintained by one of the parties that the law on which the issue of the litigation depends, infringes the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution.

An organic law establishes the conditions and modalities of application of this Article.

Article 134

A provision declared unconstitutional on the foundation of Article 132 of this Constitution may not be promulgated or implemented. A provision declared unconstitutional on the foundation of Article 133 is abrogated counting from the date specified by the Constitutional Court in its decision.

The decisions of the Constitutional Court are not susceptible to any recourse. They impose themselves on the public powers and on all the administrative and jurisdictional authorities.