Press review – Week of 31 October 2022

In this press review, you will find details on the new methods adopted by the French national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office to investigate war crimes in Ukraine. In terms of criminal procedure, a Paris judicial court decided to call on amici curiae to explain the recent concept of "corporate sustainability due diligence", and an opinion piece was published in the world deploring the erasure of the people' jury and its role in criminal justice. Finally, the French Anti-Corruption Agency published for the first time a complete statistical study on integrity violations.

War crimes in Ukraine: the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office adapts its methods to the unusual context

The crimes against humanity, war crimes and misdemeanors unit of the Paris judicial court has opened seven investigations into war crimes or complicity in war crimes in Ukraine against French victims. The Public Prosecutor’s Office had to adapt its working methods to this unusual context and work with numerous foreign investigation services as part of international cooperation. > Read article

#Anti-Bribery and Corruption: 1st statistical study on probity violations recorded by the police and gendarmerie

As part of the objectives of the multi-year national anti-corruption plan for 2020 to 2022, the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) and the ministerial statistical service for internal security (SSMSI) published a study on breaches of probity. These offenses which include corruption, influence peddling, illegal interest taking, misappropriation of public funds, favoritism and corruption increased by 28% between 2016 and 2021. > Read article

**Intervention of Professors as amicus curia to clarify the notion of “duty of vigilance”**

On October 27^th, 2022, three university Professors were heard as amici curiae by the summary proceedings panel of the Paris Judicial Court in order to shed light on the notion of “duty of vigilance”, in the context of an action initiated by the Amis de la terre association against the company TotalEnergies concerning an oil project in Uganda. This rarely used procedure allows the courts to obtain the assistance of a third party on a matter related to the dispute to be decided.> Read article

“The deliberate disappearance of the People’s Jury in criminal courts is an attack on freedom, humanity and citizenship”

A group of legal practitioners publishes an article for “Le Monde” exposing the erosion of citizen participation in criminal justice, notably through the progressive elimination of the use of popular juries. As of January 2023, the most serious crimes, punishable by 15 or 20 years of imprisonment, will be judged by a jurisdiction composed solely of professional judges, putting an end to one of the oldest and most symbolic forms of participatory democracy > Read article

War crimes in Ukraine: the national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office adapts its methods to the unusual context

#Anti-Bribery and Corruption: 1st statistical study on probity violations recorded by the police and gendarmerie

Intervention of Professors as amicus curia to clarify the notion of “duty of vigilance”

“The deliberate disappearance of the People’s Jury in criminal courts is an attack on freedom, humanity and citizenship”

Related content

**Intervention of Professors as amicus curia to clarify the notion of “duty of vigilance”**