Press review
20 January 2023

Press review – Week of 16 January 2023

This week press review includes the latest news on criminal law, business criminal law and criminal procedure. Thus, this review presents, the opening of investigations against the president of the French Football Federation, Noel le Graët, for moral and sexual harassment as well as the beginning of two criminal trials, one in France against the right-wing extremist group “Barjols” for terrorist criminal association, and the other on stock market litigation in the United States against Elon Musk for manipulating Tesla's share price. Finally, the review will present regarding the fight against money laundering, the new guidelines on negotiating and settling public interest judicial agreements issued by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office.

 

The president of the French Football Federation Noel le Graët investigated for moral and sexual harassment

On Tuesday, 17 January 2023, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced that an investigation for moral harassment and sexual harassment was opened the day beforeagainst Noel le Graët. He denied the allegations through a press release transmitted by his lawyers and claimed that he was subject to political pressure by Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castera. This procedure was opened following the report of sexist contempt of Sonia Souid, agent of several French international. > Read article

 

The first trial pleaded by Artificial Intelligence

The company “Do Not Pay” will be tested next month during a speeding ticket trial of a motorist an Artificial Intelligence. For the moment, neither the place nor the date is known. Nevertheless, the company plans to use the AI as a legal assistant who will actively listen to the hearing through a system of AirPods-type earbuds and then propose a line of defense and the relevant legal texts for the defendant to invoke. The company only plans to use AI for minor disputes, such as claims and simple administrative procedures. > Read article

 

Opening of trial against the Barjols group for terrorist criminal association

On Tuesday, 17 January 2023, the trial against the far-right group Barjols, consisting of 11 men and two women, who were preparing an insurrectional scheme intending to overthrow the political regime and assassinate the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, began. After four years of anti-terrorist investigation, the prosecutor referred the 13 individuals to the criminal court for terrorist criminal association. Beyond the violent actions against the head of state, the group also prepared the murders of migrants and attacks on places of worship, including mosques, unsuccessfully. > Read article

 

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO,  prosecuted for the manipulation of the price of Tesla using a series of Tweets

A new trial against the founder and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, began on Tuesday, 17 January 2023, in San Francisco, United States. Tesla investors are suing him for manipulating the company’s value through a series of messages on published four years ago Twitter. In these messages, Elon Musk announced his intention to take Tesla out of the stock market by paying $ 420 per share, adding that the financing was secured through a Saudi sovereign fund. Following the announcement investors lost large sums of money. The trial, which is scheduled for three weeks, will allow Elon Musk to express himself on the false information given. > Read article

 

Publication of the new PNF Guidelines on Public Interest Judicial Conventions (CJIP)

The National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) published its new guidelines for negotiating public interest’s judicial agreement on Monday, 16 January 2023. The new guidelines’ purpose is clear – more predictability and legal certainty. This is an adaptation of the June 2019 guidelines, which follows the experiences of the PNF over the last five years with the conclusion and execution of multiple CJIPs. Without wishing to generalize the use of the CJIP, the PNF emphasizes the condition of cooperation in good faith on the part of a legal person to access the CJIP. The PNF also detailed its method of calculating fines with new factors and circumstances increasing and decreasing the fees, not present in 2019. > Read article

 

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