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On January 1, the 285 district courts disappeared, as well as the 164 TGI of France. AFP PHOTO JACQUES DEMARTHON

In France, as of this Wednesday, January 1, comes into force the merger of the magistrates 'and magistrates' courts into a single entity called "judicial court". This reorganization, one of the main measures of the justice reform promulgated on March 23, is strongly criticized by legal professionals.

Since 1958, the TI, the magistrates' courts and the TGI, the courts of first instance, have shared civil litigation, mainly according to the amounts at stake. The magistrates treated cases involving sums of less than 10,000 euros : neighborhood conflicts or minor traffic accidents, for example. Beyond this threshold, disputes were settled by the TGI.

From this Wednesday, TI and TGI, when they are located in the same municipality, will merge into a "judicial court". If they sit in separate cities, the old TIs will then become a room detached from the new judicial tribunal under the name of "local courts". A necessary simplification for the government, which is pleased to create a "single gateway to justice".

Lawyers and magistrates are concerned about their more restricted access to the judge: because while individuals could previously file their applications directly with the district courts, the reform provides for an increased use of paperless procedures and expands representation compulsory by a lawyer.

They also fear that the local courts will be emptied of their substance and end up closing, despite the repeated promise of the Keeper of the Seals to maintain all the sites. Especially if the minister finally gave up removing the magistrates, the definition of their new functions is still unclear, denounce the unions of the judiciary.

Also to listen: The Tribunal de Grande Instance de Saint-Nazaire