HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
After withdrawing the management of the legal profession law project from the Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Wehbe, and practically referring it to the Prime Minister's office, the discussion enters a new turning point led by a "political mediation" approach, led by the Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch.
This transformation is expected to rearrange the dialogue table and ease the tension that accompanied previous discussions, opening the door to multiple scenarios for the expected law's path. In the optimistic scenario, a round of technical consultations begins with a clear time methodology, in which the points of disagreement are transformed into thematic workshops, which allows for the building of a common ground that combines the modernization of the profession with guaranteeing its independence and protecting the rights of defense. The success of this path presupposes the neutralization of the logic of "winning the round" in favor of the logic of "winning the system," through compromise solutions that satisfy the professional sense and respond to the requirements of justice reform without disrupting its balances. Then, a consensus formula can see the light in a reasonable timeframe, and be referred to the legislative path with the least amount of tension. The realistic scenario assumes gradual progress and technical compromises that produce partial agreements, in exchange for the continued tug-of-war over sensitive files related to the organization of the profession, disciplinary mechanisms, access conditions, and professional guarantees. Here, it may require arbitral intervention from the Prime Minister's office to control the pace and avoid returning to square one, while linking the discussion to a time limit that prevents the depletion of legislative time. As for the pessimistic scenario, it remains likely if the methodology falters or the language of alignment returns, which may return tension to the professional street and postpone the decisive decision to a subsequent legislative session. In this case, the law will remain hostage to volatile political balances, and the credit of trust that was built with difficulty in recent weeks may be depleted. Between these scenarios, the actors are betting that transferring the file to the level of the Prime Minister's office gives the dialogue a broader political umbrella and a greater ability to dismantle technical contracts away from the logic of confrontation, and if this bet is written to succeed, the legal profession law project may constitute a new model for managing sensitive reforms, institutional discussion, phased negotiation, and a consensual settlement that preserves the profession's independence and gives the justice system the expected reform boost.
