Press review
21 October 2022

Press review – Week of 17 October 2022

In this press review you will find two significant events: (1) Lafarge pleads guilty in the United States for providing material aid to terrorist organizations, (2) the French Judicial Supreme Council (CSM) ruled that there were no grounds for sanctioning two magistrates of the France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s office (PNF) in the "fadets" case. In addition, at the European level, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on the illegality of traffic data collected by AMF (Financial Markets Authority) investigators and the European Court of Human Rights ruled on extraditions to China. Finally, the adoption of the 8th package of European sanctions against Russia now prohibits lawyers from providing legal advice to the Russian government and to legal persons, entities or bodies established in Russia.

 

The U.S. Department of Justice announces new guidelines in the fight against corporate crime

Navacelle Team describe changes announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DoJ”) in the fight against corporate crime. > Read analysis

 

Lafarge in Syria: the French company pleads guilty in the United States for providing material support to terrorist organizations.

On October 18th, 2022, two companies owned by the Lafarge (now Holcim) cement group pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material assistance and resources to organizations designated as terrorists by the United States, when operating a cement plan in Syria from August 2013 to October 2014. In this first prosecution by the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) of a corporate entity for terrorism, the Lafarge companies agreed to pay a $778 million financial penalty. > Read article

 

The illegality of the traffic data collected by the AMF investigators

On September 20th, 2022, in line with its previous decisions, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU law precludes measures that provide for a general and undifferentiated retention of traffic data for a period of one year from the date of recording, as a preventive measure against market abuse offences. > Read article

 

ECHR: a “general situation of violence” opposing any extradition to China

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) asserts that a violation of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights prohibiting the infliction of injury or torture on anyone, particularly in detention, would be committed by a State party to the Convention which extradites an accused person to China without providing sufficient diplomatic guarantees. The Court describes the Chinese judicial and prison conditions as a “general situation of violence” which represents an excessive risk to the human life of the defendant. > Read article

 

The 8th package of sanctions against Russia and the impact on French lawyers’ activity.

A new European Regulation imposing sanctions against Russia includes measures that prohibit the providing of legal advice to the Russian government and to legal persons, entities or bodies established in Russia. The stakes of this Regulation are discussed in this article which explains to French lawyers tits ins and outs: the scope of the prohibition is very broad, but there are certain exemptions. > Read article

 

For the CSM, no grounds for sanction against two PNF magistrates.

In two opinions rendered on Wednesday, October 19th, 2022, the French Judicial Supreme Council (CSM) ruled that there was no reason to sanction two judges of the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF). The latter were implicated in the “fadets” case, which targets former President Nicolas Sarkozy and had been accused of disciplinary faults, such as conflicts of interests and breaches of duty of impartiality, loyalty, respect for professional confidentiality and prudence. > Read article

 

Related content

Press review
13 June 2025
Press review – Week of 9 June 2025
This week's press review covers the indictment of Pascaline Bongo in a corruption and money laundering case, the designation of...
Press review
6 June 2025
Press review – Week of 2 June 2025
This week’s press review covers the coordination at the French national level of the economic sanctions decided by the European...
5 min
Event
26 May 2025
[Webinar] Enhanced Anti-Corruption Cooperation: A UK–Switzerland–France Perspective
Co-chairs of the American Bar Association International Law Section's International Anti-Corruption Committee suggested a discussion of anti-corruption efforts outside the...
Analysis
20 May 2025
CJIP Paprec: criminal penalties applicable to violations of the rules governing public procurement
On 10 February 2025, Paprec signed a “Convention judiciaire d'intérêt public” – CJIP (equivalent to a Deferred Prosecution Agreement) to...
Press review
9 May 2025
Press review – Week of 5 May 2025
This week’s press review covers the resignation of François Commeinhes from his position as mayor of Sète, following his final...
Press review
2 May 2025
Press review – Week of 28 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the requisitions made against François Fillon in the fictitious employment case following a cassation ruling,...
Press review
25 April 2025
Press review – Week of 21 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the release of Prince Paul of Romania by French authorities, despite a European arrest warrant...
Press review
18 April 2025
Press review – Week of 14 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the extension of the investigation into Eric Garandeau for illegal taking of interest in the...
Press review
11 April 2025
Press review – Week of 7 April 2025
This week’s press review covers the European Parliament's vote to postpone the application of the CSRD to certain companies, as...
Press review
4 April 2025
Press review – Week of 31 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the 150 million euro fine imposed by the French Competition Authority on several subsidiaries of...
Press review
28 March 2025
Press review – Week of 24 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the summoning of Élysée Secretary General Alexis Kohler to a Senate committee of inquiry into...
Press review
21 March 2025
Press review – Week of 17 March 2025
This week’s press review covers the lawsuit filed by two NGOs against Carrefour for failing to exercise due diligence in...