Rejection of a request to suspend the investigation against PNF magistrates

Eric Dupond-Moretti, Minister of Justice -

The Council of State rejected on Monday the request of an association of lawyers and a union of magistrates to suspend the administrative investigation ordered by the Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti against three magistrates of the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) .

In its order, the Council of State considers that the Unity-Magistrates union SNM FO and the Association for the Defense of Constitutional Freedoms (Adelico) were not directly concerned by this investigation, and therefore not entitled to request its suspension.

The wrath of the magistrates

In their appeal, the association and the union considered that the decision of the Keeper of the Seals to request an administrative investigation of three PNF magistrates "undermines the separation of powers", "the independence of the judiciary", "the presumption of innocence and the rights of defense of PNF magistrates specifically referred to by the Keeper of the Seals ”.

Eric Dupond-Moretti had drawn the wrath of many magistrates last week, after the announcement of the opening of this investigation targeting the former head of the PNF Eliane Houlette, now retired, and two of his subordinates after a report of the General Inspectorate of Justice (IGJ) which noted procedural dysfunctions in an investigation into the "mole" of Nicolas Sarkozy in the case of "tapping".

The minister justified the investigation by the seriousness of the reproaches addressed according to him to the magistrates, "likely", he said, "to be regarded as breaches of the duty of diligence, professional rigor and loyalty".

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• Eric Dupond-Moretti

• Investigation

• Justice