International Arbitration In Morocco

Over the past decades, Morocco has been committed to enhancing its appeal as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction. Significant reforms have been introduced to its arbitration regime by Law No. 95-17 on Arbitration and Conventional Mediation ("Law No. 95-17" or "New Law"). An unofficial translation of Law No. 95-17 may be found here. New concepts, such as the authority of the judge of annulment to fine parties for abusive annulment claims and the use of online dispute resolution mechanisms, were introduced to strengthen Morrocco's reliability as a venue for international arbitration.

The New Law governs arbitration proceedings initiated as of the date of its entry into force, while arbitration proceedings that commenced before that date remain governed by the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure ("CCP") enacted by the Dahir (Moroccan King's decree), related to Act No. 1-74-447 of 28 September 1974.¹