On September 13, the court did it again, in appearance…
On September 13, the court did it again, always in immediate appearance and brought in Jean-Michel Grossias, a Cognac lawyer and former president of the bar. And Sébastien Filhouse, the president wanted to make things clear. And, in fact, to confirm that justice, in Charente, was also on the verge of rupture. The law provides that the court can call on an associate lawyer in the event of extreme urgency, when it finds that a magistrate is missing. “This is a semi-emergency”considers Sébastien Filhouse.
Either we delete dates, or we call for help.
The chancellery has brutally reviewed the question of temporary magistrates, reduced the budgetary wing “and vacations have jumped for the months of September and October”, explains Sébastien Filhouse who had to face a dilemma. “Either we delete dates and send it back to Methuselah, when the time for judgment is now 8 to 9 months, or we call for help”. Like the “relations are excellent with lawyers”the magistrates opted for the SOS.
Variously perceived. Those who are worried: “We are a small jurisdiction. Seeing lawyers who plead and then make decisions with the magistrates, this can disturb the litigants”, considering one of them. But from the outset, no one really took a strong position against the measure. Nor has anyone been enthusiastic about what looks like a patch measure. “ It’s not a long term solution says another. “We want the court to be endowed with resources. It is up to the ministry to assume”. The matter was discussed in council. The young lawyers who recently relaunched the Syndicat des avocats de France (SAF) in Angoulême have planned to meet soon to examine the situation.
“We want resources”
In fact, hardline criminal lawyers should not be solicited, to avoid conflicts of interest, to avoid ambiguity. We take it into consideration, confirms Bernard Cotrian, the chairman. But it is provided for by the texts, it is a non-issue. And in view of the good relations we have with the court”… “We were courteously asked to do so, it meets a short-term need, for two months”also supports the criminal lawyer Lionel Béthune de Moro, rather favorable on a personal basis. “It’s positive for law firms and litigants, rather than generating dismissals”.
Thus, on October 8, Sébastien Grolleau, former president of the bar, very part-time criminal lawyer and member of the Council of the order will sit, voluntary, in collegiate. “We all observe with the magistrates that it is not normal that we have such major dysfunctions. But it is normal that we respond present… if it is not a usual mode of operation”. “Our interest is that the court works,” insists Bernard Cotrian, “but we are well aware that by proceeding in this way, we are participating in solutions that avoid the ministry having to ask itself a certain number of questions about its budget”.
The lawyers were assured that it would be temporary and only in “compa” so as not to abuse the time ” volunteer » lawyers and “don’t pull too much on the rope”. But “if vacations are cancelled, we won’t be able to last forever”, worries President Filhouse, however. Today, the two weekly hearings for immediate appearance are regularly supplemented by delayed appearance files, summonses by the prosecution, which allow cases to be judged quickly. Without overloading the three correctional hearings of the week…
