This is a column published a few weeks ago in The world which has awakened the barely sleeping suffering of the milieu of justice. Orléans magistrates, civil servants and lawyers were thus mobilized in turn, this Wednesday, December 15, on the steps of the courthouseto show their support and claim resources.
“Simply, to be in the European average, listed by the Council of Europe, at Orleans, 86 judges would be needed, instead of 28; 56 prosecutors instead of 10; 296 registry staff, instead of 110″began Paul Riandey, vice-president of the judicial court, reading there a motion voted by the general assembly of the magistrates of the seat, the parquet floor and the personnel of registry.
“Justice is far from repaired and does not have the means to work. The increase in appropriations, particularly in 2021, has had only a vague analgesic effect when it would take a horse remedy to carry out our mission.”
Paul Riandey vice president of the court
They require a substantial increase in resources and the number of magistrates.
The clerks of Orleans, joined by the lawyers, express their revolt and their exhaustion on the steps of the courthouse
“No more time to analyze the files in depth”
Administrative staff were also present on Wednesday, represented in particular by Laurent Laverre, who notes a “slight deterioration in working conditions” since the start of his career as an administrative officer seven years ago. Above all, he deplores that, “despite the demands of the union bodies”, it was necessary to wait for a forum published in The world so that “it marks the spirits”…
Céline Visiedo, on behalf of the magistrates of the prosecution, regrets that her colleagues no longer have the time “to analyze the files in depth”. She underlines their “exhaustion”.
Lawyers were also present on Wednesday. Master Sacaze, president of Orléans, regretted “the indigence of the whole judicial family” and that “the increase in credits mainly concerns the penitentiary”.
She also indicated that appeals had been brought against the State in Orleans, concerning the slowness of justice, so that it be rendered in good conditions. 182,000 euros for 32 files were received in damages
and interests. “And the state preferred to pay rather than provide the means,” said the lawyer.
In theory, no more than 15 minutes per case according to a family court judge
Finally, a family affairs judge added that in order to respect the theoretical deadlines, in particular in the processing of separations (excluding divorces) or custody of children, she had to spend only fifteen minutes on each file, that is “3 minutes 45 per parent and per lawyer!”
In short, it is a whole legal world refusing the timing, and which therefore connects the “overtime” hours in order to make up for the deficiencies, which stood that day on the steps of the Orleans courthouse.
On the inside, before the start of the immediate appearance hearing scheduled for 2 p.m., in correctional, the president of the court Elsa David explained that she shared these fears (she is a regional delegate of the Union of magistrates), but that theDetention issues related to today’s hearing “were more important than the right to protest”thus explaining his presence at his post.
Also in Montargis
Strong and symbolic image, this Wednesday, December 15, before the criminal court. That of a union between magistrates, lawyers and clerks around a common cry: “The Montargis court is going badly!”
During this gathering, about thirty people in dress expressed, through a text, their suffering in the face of the chronic lack of means in the judicial institution in France and in particular of an understaffing at the court of Montargis.
“As criminal activity develops, as procedural reforms follow one another without any support and in a permanent lack of preparation which disrupts the services, between 2017 and 2021, the number of civil servants fell from 42 to 38“, specifies the protesters.
“Currently, our criminal chain is operating at half capacity (…) Criminal hearings are overloaded and often end late, sometimes even at midnight”.
“Justice is no longer rendered under normal conditions”
Since this summer, after three years of vacancy, an investigating judge finally joined the court. Thus, many investigations have been able to progress in the Montargois and arrests for drug trafficking have multiplied since September. “But the human resources do not follow at the level of the registry“, add the officials of the court. “The result is that justice is no longer rendered under normal conditions”.
An observation supported by magistrates and lawyers. They too point the finger at an under-investment in the institution. Results : the malaise has won over all the legal actors, generating “suffering at work” and “overwork”.
“These difficulties, beyond the problems this causes for judicial personnel, also have repercussions for litigants with longer delays for the holding of trials, for example”.
A magistrate
The protesters demand the end of job cuts within the services, a decline in the activity of the court, when the workforce no longer follows and also high-performance equipment (software, IT, etc.), in order to “render quality justice to Montargis”.
Florent Buisson in Orleans,
Sylvain Riollet in Montargis
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