French Parliament Adopts Watered-Down Criminal Justice Bill to Reduce Court Backlogs
On July 9, 2026, the French Parliament definitively adopted Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin's criminal justice bill, aimed at unclogging courts. The bill passed the Senate 232-99 after earlier Assembly approval, but was significantly weakened after the government withdrew its flagship guilty-plea procedure due to opposition from lawyers and the left. Remaining measures include reforming departmental criminal courts, authorizing genetic genealogy from private databases for cold cases, and extending pretrial detention for serious crimes. The bill faced criticism for its progressive thinning and may be referred to the Constitutional Council.
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French Parliament Adopts Gérald Darmanin's Criminal Justice Bill Without Guilty Plea Measure
On July 9, 2026, the French Senate definitively adopted the criminal justice bill championed by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, with a final vote of 232 to 99. The bill, already passed by the National Assembly, aims to reduce court backlogs but was significantly watered down after the government withdrew its flagship 'guilty plea' procedure for criminal cases due to opposition from the left and a revolt by lawyers. The final text retains a scattered set of measures: reforming departmental criminal courts (created in 2019) to try repeat offenders, authorizing the use of genetic genealogy by consulting private company databases (including American recreational genetic tests) to solve cold cases, an emergency mechanism to extend pretrial detention (with constitutional concerns), and a measure addressing pretrial detention of minors aged 16 or older accused of crimes. Parliamentarians criticized the progressive thinning of the project, with some noting they defended the text more than the government itself. Several lawmakers plan to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council.
French Parliament Adopts Gérald Darmanin's Criminal Justice Bill Without Guilty Plea Measure
On July 9, 2026, the French Parliament definitively adopted Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin's criminal justice bill after a final Senate vote of 232 to 99. The bill, aimed at reducing court congestion, was significantly watered down after the government withdrew its flagship 'guilty plea' procedure for criminal cases due to opposition from the left and a revolt by lawyers. The final text retains a battery of scattered measures: reforming departmental criminal courts (created in 2019) to judge repeat offenders, authorizing the use of genetic genealogy by consulting private company databases (including American recreational genetic test databases) to solve cold cases, an emergency mechanism to extend certain pretrial detentions despite constitutional concerns, and a measure addressing pretrial detention of minors aged 16 and older accused of crimes. Parliamentarians from both the Socialist and Les Républicains parties criticized the bill's progressive thinning over months, with some noting they defended the text more than the government itself. Several lawmakers have promised to refer the matter to the Constitutional Council.
French Deputies and Senators Reach Agreement on Darmanin's Criminal Justice Bill
On July 8, 2026, a joint committee of French deputies and senators agreed on a common version of Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin's criminal justice bill, aimed at unclogging courts. The bill was stripped of several divisive measures, including the flagship plea-bargaining system for criminal matters, which Darmanin abandoned after opposition from lawyers and the National Rally. Key remaining provisions include reforming departmental criminal courts to handle crimes punishable by 15-20 years, creating 60 additional courts, and extending their jurisdiction to repeat offenders. The bill also relaxes court composition but removes citizen assessors. An emergency measure on pretrial detention was reinstated by senators after being removed in the Assembly, prompting La France Insoumise to plan a Constitutional Council referral. The text includes authorization to exploit genetic genealogy by consulting private company databases for solving cold cases. The bill is expected to pass easily with only left-wing opposition in the Assembly.
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Gérald Darmanin's Criminal Justice Bill Adopted with RN Support, Stripped of Key Measures
On July 7, 2026, the French National Assembly adopted Gérald Darmanin's criminal justice bill in first reading, thanks to the support of the far-right National Rally (RN). The bill, aimed at reducing court scheduling delays and the backlog of criminal cases, was significantly weakened after three days of debate and concessions to Marine Le Pen's party. Several measures were removed, leaving mainly piecemeal provisions such as stricter regulation of nullity requests by lawyers and authorization to consult private genetic testing databases (typically American) for solving cold cases. The text had previously been rejected in the Law Committee due to lack of majority deputy mobilization. The adoption was uncertain until the RN's votes secured its passage.
French National Assembly Adopts Gérald Darmanin's Criminal Justice Bill in First Reading, Without Plea Bargaining
On July 7, 2026, the French National Assembly adopted in first reading the criminal justice bill championed by Keeper of the Seals Gérald Darmanin, with 357 votes in favor and 177 against. The bill, aimed at unclogging courts, was passed without the controversial criminal plea-bargaining mechanism (PJCR), which Darmanin removed on June 10 due to lack of consensus and opposition from lawyers. The proposed procedure would have allowed a one-third sentence reduction in exchange for full admission of facts, with victim consent, targeting trial delays averaging six years for rapes and eight years for homicides. The bill now proceeds to a closed-door meeting between deputies and senators on Wednesday morning, with potential final approval in the Assembly on Wednesday evening and the Senate on Thursday. The removal of the plea-bargaining provision was influenced by the Lyhanna affair, which turned many magistrates against Darmanin.