France: vast imbroglio around the Ajaccio courthouse

The city of Ajaccio, prefecture of the Corse-du-Sud department.

AP - Ludovic Marin

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

The Ajaccio courthouse, in Corsica, is empty.

The lawyers have deserted all the courtrooms.

Tuesday, October 26, the baton Julia Tiberi hit the bar of prohibition, thus asking lawyers not to plead during all the hearings.

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With our correspondent in Ajaccio,

It all started during a trial for drug trafficking before the criminal court.

Eleven defendants are there.

The main accused, Louis Carboni, is listed in organized crime.

The others have the reputation of being part of a growing team.

The lawyers are asking for the referral.

One of them is absent for health reasons, the other is detained by a hearing.

The court refuses and decides to separate the cases.

Unacceptable for all the lawyers, who decide to leave the hearing. 

The Bâtonnière is then called in to designate court-appointed lawyers.

The replacements arrive, but in turn ask for dismissal.

They need time to read the file.

The president gives them a few hours.

Insufficient, energetically oppose the lawyers, thus provoking a new pass of arms with the court.

The Bâtonnière then decides to strike the bar of prohibition, deploring a deterioration in relations between lawyers and magistrates.

Since the rooms of the Ajaccio courthouse are empty.

A meeting between magistrates and lawyer is scheduled for November 2, with the aim of easing tensions.

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