Several hundred black robes, magistrates and lawyers paid tribute on Tuesday on the steps of the Paris Courthouse to the former lawyer, Keeper of the Seals and father of the abolition of the death penalty Robert Badinter, who died last week at 95 years old.
The wide steps leading to the imposing and historic palace of the Île de la Cité, which houses the Paris Court of Appeal and the Court of Cassation, were entirely occupied by magistrates and lawyers, who also took their places in the court.
They observed a minute of silence, before applauding for a long time.
“The First of Us”
“The Paris bar to which he belonged for forty-five years had to pay tribute to him, it was obvious,” declared Vanessa Bousardo, vice-president, referring to the “example” that was Robert Badinter, “ the first of us.”
“The bar will never forget him.”
The President of Paris, Pierre Hoffman, assured that lawyers “will continue to bring to life” the fights of Robert Badinter, “for a more humane justice and a more just society”.
Hundreds of us gathered this afternoon to pay tribute to our colleague Robert Badinter.
So many lawyers who, tomorrow, will continue to keep his fights alive for more humane justice and a more just society.
pic.twitter.com/YLZYK2JV1P
— Bâtonnier de Paris (@batonnierparis) February 13, 2024
The first president of the Paris Court of Appeal Jacques Boulard said the magistrates' “attachment” to “the values of justice, fundamental rights, the rule of law”, embodied “magnificently, masterfully” by Robert Badinter .
“The horror of prisons” mentioned in a final exchange
Standing on the steps, lawyer Henri Leclerc then paid tribute to his “friend” Robert Badinter, who was “first and foremost a lawyer”.
“I know the lawyer he was, madly attached to the necessity of defense.
He was the honor of our dress,” declared the honorary president of the Human Rights League (LDH).
Henri Leclerc's tribute to Robert Badinter on the steps of the Paris Court of Appeal, followed by applause and a minute of silence from hundreds of lawyers and magistrates present pic.twitter.com/i0CHnZzK8E
— David Di Giacomo (@David_DiGiacomo) February 13, 2024
Me Leclerc also took advantage of this tribute to send a more political message: “The last time we spoke, we only talked about one thing: prison overpopulation, the horror of prisons”.
The number of prisoners in France reached a new record on January 1, with 75,897 people incarcerated.
Faced with this chronic prison overcrowding, which earned France a new condemnation from the European Court of Human Rights in July, the government is counting on the construction of 15,000 new prison places by 2027.
A national tribute will be paid Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Justice to Robert Badinter.