What activities are maintained during containment?
Since March 17, 2020, containment has been imposed throughout France to stem the deadly epidemic of Covid-19 coronavirus.
Almost everything in the courts stopped on Monday, March 16.
“Between 80 and 90% of our usual jurisdictional activity has been eliminated”, explains Eric Mathais, prosecutor of the Republic of Dijon.
The hearings were held only for essential cases.
Immediate appearances are organized, in particular for domestic violence, “which are part of the files considered to be urgent”.
Within the judicial city of Dijon, the prosecution service, which manages all police custody, is still active.
Normally, it handles up to 80 calls per day. But, since the entry into force of containment, there has been a decrease in delinquency and few people in police custody are summoned.
“We try to limit presentations and immediate appearance cases to the strict minimum in order to limit incarceration, to limit the prison population. But, the most serious cases are treated in the same way as they were before. containment, “said Caroline Noirot, vice-prosecutor of the Republic of Dijon.
To you, who allow the continuity of activity of the public service of justice. To you, who ensure every day an essential activity for the good functioning of our country.
THANK YOU.# AllMobilized pic.twitter.com/zxM5bAGf20
– Ministry of Justice (@justice_gouv) April 13, 2020
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The slowdown in activity also affects civil affairs and litigation in daily life (debts, successions, contracts …).
“Usually, in this room, on Wednesday morning, it’s a real hive. There are 30 to 50 lawyers waiting there, as well as a few individuals,” said Bruno Laplane, president of the Dijon court. But today, if 42 files are on the table, only 6 are retained. And, to go faster, they don’t go through the courtroom. Decisions are made, on paper, between the judge and the lawyers …
The work is done on file, which is a form of suffering for the magistrate
Juvenile justice must also adapt to the health constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Usually, “we are four juvenile judges in Côte-d’Or and we spend every morning each time in court to hear parents, children, lawyers,” said Emmanuel Roguet.
But for the past two months, only one judge has been present and has been on duty in cases of children who are the perpetrators of crimes or – more often – victims of violence.
“The work is done on file, which is a form of suffering for the magistrate since the interest of the profession for him and for the litigants is to be able to express himself, meet a judge, express their anger, their sadness. For children, it is being able to be heard by a judge and for a judge to understand a case is to let yourself be carried a little by the emotion that arises from a hearing. “
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Report Muriel Bessard, Gabriel Talon and Cécilia Ngoc shot at the judicial city of Dijon (06/07/2020)
When will justice resume its normal course?
From Monday 11 May, the public justice service will gradually resume its activity.
The first three weeks will allow us to draw up an inventory.
At first, telework must remain the priority. Only personnel whose presence is essential will return to the sites.
Telework, remote meetings, document scanning… This unprecedented period “forces us to rethink our organizations and – hopefully – in the end come up with organizations that may be better, “said Eric Mathais, public prosecutor of Dijon.
Then, depending on the epidemic situation, a second phase should start on June 2, with the aim of “resuming the most normal activity possible”.
But already, some do not hide their concern about the innumerable “non-urgent” cases that have been referred since March 16. These are all files that are added to the procedures that were already pending.
In order to avoid the embolism of the system, the Chancellery sent a note: throughout France, Courts are encouraged to continue to use videoconferencing and civil proceedings without a hearing, through the exchange of records. In addition to increased use of digital technology, the Ministry of Justice announced temporary reinforcement of 1,000 temporary workers.
It’s “necessary but not enough,” says Katia Dubreuil, president of the Magistrates Union, which denounces the lack of human resources for justice.
For its part, the National Bar Council (CNB) calls on lawyers, clerks and magistrates to unite “to to demand the end of a policy of scarcity and real justice accessible by all our citizens. “
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