About two hundred black dresses and a few dresses with red sleeves, the prerogative of the advisers of the court of appeal, met this Thursday for an hour on the forecourt of the Paris judicial court at the appeal of the two majority unions of magistrates.
A megaphone and slogans for the sound atmosphere, a smoke cracked by a lawyer for color and a person in the viewfinder: the Minister of Justice, Eric Dupond-Moretti, 59, accused by the demonstrators of "threatening independence of Justice ".
Some written messages, mentioned on posters, rather consensual, recall the idea that magistrates have of their jobs.
“Sitting, standing but never lying down” or even: “Our first duty: independence!
Others are more biting.
"Keeper of the Seals, keeper of his family?
“, Points one of them, reference to the suspicions of“ conflict of interest ”which weigh on the new minister.
"Defending principles as a lawyer, flouting them as a minister," squeaks another.
In total, between 1000 and 1500 magistrates would have participated in these demonstrations organized all over France.
Or between 10 and 20% of all 8000 magistrates in court.
“It is a specific fact that prompts us to demonstrate, framework Katia Dubreuil, president of the magistrate's union, one of the two majority unions.
This is a major democratic problem.
The Minister of Justice finds himself in a position of conflict of interest.
He filed a complaint against the judges of national financial prosecutor (PNF) because he was under investigation on fadettes
(note: detailed phone bills)
by calling the methods of PNF
barbouzeries
".
"It gives the feeling of settling accounts"
Katia Dubreuil recalls that at the time Eric Dupond-Moretti was a lawyer and therefore completely free of his word, free even to be outrageous.
“The problem is that today, he is Minister of Justice
(Editor's note: since July 6)
, she explains.
However, it gives the feeling of settling accounts.
He allows himself in an unprecedented way to publicly deliver the names of the three magistrates who will be the subject of an administrative investigation.
For someone like him who says he is very attached to the presumption of innocence, it is very surprising.
"
These magistrates or ex-magistrates of the PNF authorized the surveillance of telephone communications of lawyers and magistrates in connection with the case of the wiretapping of Nicolas Sarkozy.
Nothing illegal according to a report issued on September 15 by the General Inspectorate of Justice which, however, notes dysfunctions in the way this investigation was conducted.
On the side of Céline Parisot, president of the Union Syndicale de la Magistrature (USM), the bell is similar but the explanation of the demonstration of the day significantly different.
"The trigger is not the appointment of a lawyer to the presidency of the national school of the judiciary (
Editor's note: Eric Dupond-Moretti proposed to the President of the Republic the name of Nathalie Roret
).
This is the speech held on this occasion.
An absolutely detestable speech in which he denigrates the magistrates and the quality of our training.
He has had prejudices about magistrates for many years and he never went back on them.
In fact, the minister seems to be engaged in a battle against his own administration… ”
"He is no longer a credible interlocutor"
In the compact and masked group of magistrates gathered before the Tribunal, some are even tougher.
“Since his arrival at the ministry in early July, Eric Dupond-Moretti has been working for his friend Thierry Herzog, Nicolas Sarkozy's lawyer, and for the former President of the Republic, tance Jacques Raynaud, magistrate at the court of appeal and member of the USM union.
He does not defend the general interest but his personal interests and the defense of his friends.
"
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In the end, for Katia Dubreuil, Eric Dupond-Moretti "is no longer a credible interlocutor".
At this stage, no union organization has yet publicly called for the resignation of the Minister of Justice.
Behind the scenes, a meeting between several unions and the Justice Advisor Emmanuel Macron is on the agenda.