Regime governing publications
- Prior declaration of the publication and appointment of a responsible publication director.
- Online press is subject to the same regime as the print press.
- Press companies must be transparent about their capital and sources of financing.
Liability and right of reply
- Defamation, insult and invasion of privacy are penalised, in principle by fines rather than imprisonment.
- Any person named or referred to has a right of reply, which must be published under the conditions and within the time limits laid down by law.
- The court may order publication of the judgment and removal of the offending content.
- Actions are time-barred within short periods running from publication.
Key articles
A lawyer's points to watch
- Limitation periods in press matters are very short: act as soon as the material is published.
- A request for a right of reply must be precise and proportionate to the content complained of, otherwise it may be refused.
- A republication or share may start a new limitation period: document each dissemination with a bailiff's report.
The English text on this page, including the quoted articles, is an unofficial translation. Information sheet prepared by Maître Lahfaia Law Firm, Rabat. It does not constitute legal advice. Only the text published in the Official Bulletin of the Kingdom of Morocco is authoritative; the articles cited may have been amended since this sheet was written.