After Gérald Darmanin’s “support” for an elected official convicted on enchantment, the magistrates denounce “a democratically dangerous mixture of genres” | EUROtoday

Two magistrates’ unions had been outraged, Thursday, December 18, on the feedback of Gérald Darmanin, who assured of his ” support “ an elected official from the North sentenced by the Douai Court of Appeal to eighteen months suspended jail sentence and two years of ineligibility for embezzlement.

“It seems to us institutionally problematic, for a serving Minister of Justice, to provide public “support” to any litigant following a court docket resolution”writes the Union of Magistrates (USM, majority), in an open letter, of which Agence France-Presse (AFP) turned conscious on Thursday.

“Without commenting in any way on a court decision, I have a more than friendly thought for Damien Castelain, who is a great president of the Lille Metropolis, and a passionate mayor of Péronne-en-Mélantois”wrote Tuesday on X the Minister of Justice, assuring him of his “support in this difficult time”.

In its letter, the USM says it has taken observe “with dismay” of this message. “This positioning is simply incomprehensible for most of the magistrates and civil servants of your ministry who work on a daily basis, in difficult conditions and under the fire of often partisan and unfair criticism, to deliver justice and apply the laws passed by the national representation”she estimates, judging this “mixture of genres (…) democratically dangerous ».

Precedents

For the Magistrates’ Union (SM, classified on the left), the ” first “ duties of the Keeper of the Seals “is to ensure respect, and therefore to respect itself, the separation of powers”. However, Mr. Darmanin “ostensibly diverts his ministerial function according to his preferences and for the benefit of his personal and political friendships”estimates the SM. “Clientelism, favoritism, cronyism have no place in our country. They damage the already fragile trust that citizens have in their institutions”.

Asked by AFP, the minister’s entourage didn’t want to remark. This will not be the primary time that Mr. Darmanin has spoken out following a court docket resolution.

After the conviction on September 25 of Nicolas Sarkozy to 5 years in jail within the Libyan financing affair, he confided his “sadness”. He went to La Santé jail, the place the ex-president was incarcerated for twenty days, a go to which sparked criticism. Nicolas Sarkozy has since been banned, as a part of his judicial overview imposed after his launch from jail, from assembly Mr. Darmanin.