In April 2019, the French subsidiary of the world leader in smartphones was indicted for “deceptive commercial practices” by the Parisian examining magistrate Renaud Van Ruymbeke, who has since retired. The magistrate had been seized of the investigations on the basis of a complaint filed in June 2018 by the associations Sherpa and Actionaid-Peuples solidaires. Relying on various reports from NGOs that visited the group's factories in China, South Korea and Vietnam, they denounced the “employment of children under the age of sixteen”, “working hours”. abusive work ”,“ working and accommodation conditions incompatible with human dignity ”and“ endangering workers ”.

According to a judicial source, this complaint was ruled inadmissible on March 30 by the investigative chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal, on the grounds that the NGOs did not have the authorization to take legal action against “practices”. misleading commercials ”.

This decision effectively nullifies the procedure they had initiated, and therefore has the consequence of canceling the indictment of Samsung France.

"Impunity of multinationals"

Samsung Electronics said "take note" of these decisions, without further comment.

For their part, Sherpa and Actionaid-Peuples solidaires, which lodged an appeal in cassation, denounced "an increasingly restrictive context for the action of associations which fight the impunity of multinationals".

Their complaint was lodged in June 2018 directly with the dean of the investigating judges of the Paris judicial court, in order to circumvent the refusal of the public prosecutor's office to continue the investigations.

In this complaint, the NGOs accused the electronics group of not respecting its ethical commitments, however proclaimed on its website.

UFC-Que Choisir has also filed a complaint

In order to justify criminal proceedings in France, the NGOs considered it sufficient that the offending message be accessible to French consumers for the country's courts to be competent.

Another association, UFC-Que Choisir, also filed a complaint last February in Paris with the constitution of a civil party for deceptive commercial practices targeting the group, and is now waiting for justice to be pronounced.

Justice

Samsung.

Accused of deceptive commercial practices, the French subsidiary will not be sued

High-Tech

Samsung generalizes the sale of its new smartphones without chargers or headphones

  • Labor law

  • China

  • Human rights

  • NGO

  • Justice

  • Samsung

  • Complaint