The Lafarge case: First conviction of a French company for financing terrorist groups in Syria
This trial of the Lafarge company and several of its former executives for financing terrorist groups in Syria has attracted international attention and sets an important precedent by demonstrating that providing financial support to criminal organisations in war zones can lead to prosecution.
Appeal proceedings in the Libyan campaign financing case: the second chapter in a major state affair
This trial concerns allegations of illegal funding of Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 presidential campaign by Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in exchange for diplomatic, economic and judicial advantages. The stakes of the appeal are considerable both personally and institutionally, given that the former Head of State was imprisoned for 20 days following the first instance judgment, despite having lodged an appeal on the merits of the case.
Marine Le Pen’s appeal trial: alleged misuse of European funds and eligibility issue ahead of the 2027 presidential election
In January and February 2026, Marine Le Pen appeared on appeal in the case concerning the European Parliament assistants of the National Front (now National Rally), relating to the alleged improper use of European Parliament funds. Beyond the issue of the defendants’ criminal liability, the proceedings carry major political significance due to their potential consequences for Marine Le Pen’s eligibility to stand in the 2027 presidential election.
Appeal trial for the murder of Samuel Paty: the judicial reckoning of a national trauma
On 16 October 2020, Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, was stabbed to death and beheaded near his school by an Islamist terrorist of Chechen origin. While the perpetrator of the attack was shot dead by the police shortly afterwards, the appeal proceedings concerned the responsibility of several individuals accused of having participated in the campaign of denunciation that preceded the attack. The stakes of the case extend beyond individual criminal liability and raise broader questions regarding the ability of public institutions to respond to radicalisation, threats to the freedom to teach and the terrorist threat.
Trial of alleged DZ Mafia leaders: justice confronts the rise of organised drug crime in Marseille
The trial of the alleged perpetrators of a double murder committed in 2019 in a hotel in the Bouches-du-Rhône department constitutes one of the first major criminal proceedings targeting individuals presented as central figures of the DZ Mafia, a criminal organisation associated with drug trafficking in Marseille.
Appeal trial for the Rio-Paris flight crash: the criminal liability of aviation stakeholders at the heart of a landmark legal case
On 1 June 2009, Air France flight AF447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 228 people on board. Seventeen years after the events, the appeal proceedings represent a major step in determining criminal liability in connection with one of the most serious air disasters in French aviation history. Beyond the technical causes of the accident, the proceedings focus on the alleged shortcomings attributable to Air France and Airbus regarding the management of Pitot tube failures, the information provided to crews and their training in situations involving the loss of airspeed indications.
Patrick Balkany convicted of misappropriation of public funds: a new judicial chapter in the career of a former elected official already convicted
In April 2026, two separate cases concerning the alleged improper use of public resources for personal purposes or for the benefit of relatives were examined by the Nanterre Criminal Court against Patrick Balkany, former mayor of Levallois-Perret, who had already been convicted notably for unlawful taking of interests and tax fraud.
