Press review – Week of 12 December 2022

In this press review, from a judicial point of view, there are several important events: The Court de Cassation ruled that the interception of conversations between a detainee and his lawyer did not necessarily constitute a violation of professional secrecy, the Court de Revision overturned the conviction for rape of Farid El Haïry, who becomes the twelfth rehabilitated of the Fifth Republic, and four people have been detained in Brussels as part of an investigation into suspicions of corruption for the benefit of Qatar. Finally, the non-governmental organization Transparency International published the results of its Exporting Corruption 2022 report.

The interception of a lawyer’s conversations does not always violate professional secrecy

In a decision of December 13, 2022, the Court de Cassation held that the interception and transcription of conversations between a person in custody and his lawyer did not necessarily constitute a violation of professional secrecy. The ruling noted that the conversations did not concern the defense of the client’s interests but referred to the situation of other persons. The Court deduced that there was no intention on the part of the judges and investigators to infringe on the content of protected correspondence. > Read article

**The Court de révision overturns the rape conviction of Farid El Haïry, who becomes the twelfth rehabilitated person of the Vᵉ Republic**

On December 15, the president of the Court de révision, Nicolas Bonnal, solemnly recognized the innocence of Farid El Haïry, convicted of sexual assault and aggravated rape of a minor on December 19, 2003, after the high school student withdrew her testimony. This is the twelfth time since the beginning of the Fifth Republic that justice has completed this procedure to recognize the innocence of a convicted person. > Read article

France and the duty of vigilance, picture of a battlefield

Julie Zorrilla and Roxane Castro contribute to the first Legal Industry Reviews – France edition. You will be able to find the latest news on compliance in France by Roxane Castro and an article on the duty of vigilance by Julie Zorrilla, respectively counsel and partner Navacelle. > Read article

Results of the ‘Exporting Corruption 2022’ report

“Exporting Corruption 2022”, a report published by Transparency International to monitor anti-bribery measures by signatories of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, was recently presented in France. The report finds, among other things, that only 2 of the 47 countries analyzed are actively fighting corruption. > Read article

“Qatargate”: what we know about the suspicions of corruption in the European Parliament

Four people, including the vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, have been detained in Brussels as part of an investigation into suspected corruption for the benefit of Qatar. On December 9, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the Central Office for the Repression of Corruption had been investigating “alleged criminal organization, corruption and money laundering” since early July. > Read article