Morocco selects 299 women to become public notary officials

Morocco’s Justice Ministry announced on Saturday it had chosen 299 women to fill in the position of public notaries for the first time following a rare fatwa in the Muslim world that allowed women to practice the profession.

For centuries, the profession of public notary has been restricted to men in the majority of the Islamic world countries.

According to the ministry women represented 40 per cent of candidates who passed a test held in May, out of nearly 19,000 applicants.

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Typically, a public notary officially documents several transactions, including inheritance, commercial work and marriage.

Morocco’s Justice Ministry described the event as “historic”.

Women practice all judicial professions in Morocco, but the decision to allow them to practice this profession has stirred controversy especially among conservative Salafists.

“We will provide all the support and assistance to the women who will be picked” the head of the national commission for public notaries, Bouchaib Pellawi told AFP.