or special law, and remedies were available in cases of abuse of authority or A Consultative infringement of personal integrity or of property rights. Council for Human Rights had been created on 8 May 1990 to monitor the activities of local authorities and assure citizens of direct recourse to the King. The courts had an obligation in all cases to apply the provisions of the law, and since such provisions were identical to those of the Covenant, the provisions of the latter were implioitly applied by the courts. Parties and their lawyers frequently invoked the principles enshrined in the Covenant, which in turn ensured that judges had to base themselves on those principles i.n formulating their views. The Moroccan League for the Defence of Human Rights and the Moroccan Human Rights Association had been set up by two political parties represented in Parliament. The Moroccan Human Rights Organization consisted of independent persons, lawyers, jurists, academicians and academics. The three organizations pursued their activities at the administrative, judicial, parliamentary and public level. 236. Concerning difficulties in implementing the Covenant, the representative said that Morocco had never encountered any obstacles affecting the public freedoms or civil and political rights of its inhabitants. The Covenant had been published in the official bulletin, and the press took every opportunity to mark the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations by reproducing the text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Covenant. Most international human rights instruments were also publicized by the press, and the second periodic report had been published by the national press in August 1990. The key principles of the Covenant had also been the subject of studies by universities, the Royal Academy and the National Institute for Judicial studies. Replying to other questions, the representative said that the compatibility of treaties signed by Morocco with the Constitution had been ascertained by various ministerial commis6ions prior to their ratification. Morocco recognized the precedence of international law over domestic law. The courts haa never rulea on the direct applicability of treaties, but lawyers often invoked treaty provisions before judges. The Moroccan Criminal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure guaranteed any person a fair trial. Laws could be amended by decree; the courts had no right to cancel laws altogether. The Supreme Council of the Judiciary was empowered to take disciplinary action against judges who committed administrative or criminal offences, but did not intervene in judicial matters. Judges were appointed on the recommendation of the Council. Human rights organizations were entitled to apply for financial assistance, which was granted to organizations serving the public interest. 237. The Royal Consultative Council, which was a purely advisory body serving the supreme administrative authorities of the country, including the King himself, was composed of advisers to the King, Ministry of Justice officials, judges and representatives of political parties and was headed by a senior Supreme Court judge. Individuals were free to address their complaints to the Council, which then drew up a report for submission to the King. An enormous number of individual complaints haa already been brought before the Council. The fact that the reports of the Consultative Council to the *King on cases before it had reflected dissenting opinions among its members constituted proof of its independence. Pn the final instance, the decision on those cases rested with the King. Inaiviauals had the right to appeal against abuses by the police or public officials, and investigations and prosecutions by the courts or the Ministry of Justice received press coverage. Referring to the monarchy, the representative noted that 90 per cent of the population had -.58-