MEDEL expresses its serious concerns over the attacks on French judges following the judgment issued in the so-called “National Rally parliamentary assistants case”.
Once again, MEDEL denounces that a red line has been crossed with attacks against judges on a personal basis and threats to their security simply for lawfully performing their duties.
Once again, MEDEL observes a dangerous strategy of delegitimization, aiming at eroding public trust in courts and judges publicly accusing them of being partisan and using judicial decisions to frustrate the will of the people as embodied in their elected representatives.
France today, like Italy, is only the most recent context to be added to the list of those we have already seen – Hungary, Poland, Romania and others – where judges are labelled as “enemies of the people” and “political opponents”.
Once again, MEDEL denounces that this “rhetoric” is not the language of democracy: it is instead an inroad into judicial independence and a serious breach of the separation of powers when used by those who serve within the institutions and as public actors.
MEDEL expresses solidarity and support to the French judges currently under attack;
reiterates that the independence of the judiciary – a key principle of any democratic system – requires a status that protects judges and prosecutors from any interference of other powers and that any legitimate criticism of judicial decisions takes place in a climate of mutual respect;
urges national authorities to respect the principle of separation of powers and the constitutional role of judges, protecting it from attacks seeking to delegitimize independent courts and judicial decisions.
April 4th, 2025
Statement on the recent attacks on the French judiciary (.pdf)