This Congress, whose opening session was marked by the presence of, among others, the Minister of Justice and Liberties, Mustapha Ramid, and the Wali of the Oriental Region, Governor of the Oujda-Angad prefecture and the Governor of the Berkane province, saw the participation of bar association presidents and lawyers from several jurisdictions of the Kingdom who will spend three days examining a number of issues on the congress agenda, particularly regarding professional plans and the reform of the justice system. Speaking at the opening of this meeting, the president of the association, Mr. Hassan Wahbi, specified that this 28th Congress, the first since the association's fiftieth anniversary, constitutes an opportunity to take stock of achievements, gains, and failures, but also to review the association's actions. The association, during its 50 years of existence, has always expressed the aspirations of Moroccan lawyers, he said, recalling that the association's board has put in place a diversified programme concerning the various areas of concern for the profession, both on a professional and social level. For his part, Mr. Benaissa El Mekkaoui, President of the Oujda Bar, indicated that this congress constitutes an opportunity for participants to exchange experiences between professionals, particularly regarding the reform of the Justice system. He also noted that the expectations of citizens require rapid reform, emphasising the role of lawyers, who, as members of the justice family, are an integral part of the reform of the judicial system. The reform of the judicial system, as a societal project, requires first and foremost focusing on the human element, particularly through training in order to meet current and future challenges, he said. For his part, the Secretary-General of the Arab Lawyers Union, Mr. Omar Zine Amine, emphasised the sanctity and importance of this profession in bringing out the truth, rendering justice, and developing the nation, noting that one of the Union's main objectives consists of establishing the principle of the independence of the profession, and guaranteeing the freedom and immunity of lawyers. During the opening of this Congress, two tributes were paid to the human rights activist and feminist, the late Assia El Ouadia, and Moubarak Taieb Sassi, former president of the Association of Moroccan Bars, in addition to the distribution of prizes to the winners of the competitions organised as part of the activities parallel to this Congress.