Press review – Week of 19 December 2022

This week's press review presents the outcome of an investigation by the Paris Bar Council against several lawyers for ethical violations. It also mentions the recent vote of a law proposal aiming at creating specialized jurisdictions dedicated to domestic violence. In addition, this week, the AFEP and MEDEF published a new version of the "Corporate Governance Code for listed companies" which insists on the deployment of CSR strategies and environmental objectives. Finally, in international law, Vanuatu hopes to obtain an opinion from the International Court of Justice on state obligations regarding climate change.

Al-Khelaïfi affair: several Parisian lawyers cleared by the Bar Council

The President of the Paris Bar Association, Julie Couturier, has decided not to initiate any disciplinary proceedings against several Parisian lawyers who have been the subject of an ethics investigation since January. The French-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane blamed his lawyers for making him sign a transactional protocol in July 2020 in which he committed to hand over allegedly compromising documents on Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, president of Paris-Saint Germain, in exchange for his liberation. > Read article

The French employers’ associations recommend linking climate to executive compensation in their new governance code.

The Afep and Medef published this Tuesday an updated version of the “Code de gouvernement d’entreprise des sociétés cotées” (Corporate Governance Code for listed companies). This edition recalls that social and environmental responsibility must be placed at the core of the missions of the board of directors of these companies, and thus proposes recommendations such as the integration of climate objectives in the remuneration of executives. > Read article

Proposal of law on the creation of Specialized Jurisdictions for Intrafamily Violence: From the back of the hand…

The law proposal n°346 aiming at the creation of a specialized jurisdiction for intrafamily violence was voted on 1 December 2022. This proposal provides for the creation of a “Domestic Violence Court”, a specialized court with jurisdiction over offenses against the integrity of the person in the family context. > Read article

Threatened by global warming, Vanuatu wants to use climate justice to push governments to act

Eighteen countries led by Vanuatu have presented a draft resolution to the United Nations General Assembly on 9 December on climate change. They wish to obtain an opinion from the International Court of Justice concerning the obligations of States in protecting the climate for current and future generations. Also, they question the legal consequences for countries that have failed to meet these obligations and caused significant damage to States and individuals vulnerable to climate change and affected by its effects. > Read article