French National Assembly passes bill creating presumption of lawful self-defense for police; critics call it 'license to kill'

MP (Ecologist and Social) Pouria Amirshahi, at the National Assembly, Paris, March 24, 2026. STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP

Left-wing MPs, joined by associations and unions representing magistrates, lawyers, and human rights activists, called for mobilization on Thursday, July 16, "so that the 'license to kill' law does not see the light of day," denouncing what they described as "a genuine setback for the rule of law."

"With this criminal doctrine that exonerates the police officer in advance for actions they may commit, we are entering an increasingly turbulent zone for the democratic principles that are ours," said MP Pouria Amirshahi of the Ecologist and Social group during a joint press conference alongside Thomas Portes (La France insoumise) and Elsa Faucillon (French Communist Party).

Background of the Bill

Voted on July 7 by the National Assembly, the bill introduced by MP Eric Pauget (Les Républicains) stipulates that police officers and gendarmes "are presumed to have acted" within the framework of the law "when using their weapons."

Criticism from the Judiciary

"This text conflicts with the international and constitutional standards that constitute our rule of law," stated Stéphane Fischesser, national secretary of the Syndicat de la magistrature. He emphasized that it "is fundamental, in a rule of law, to very strictly regulate the use of firearms by law enforcement."

For the magistrate, "this text will pose almost insurmountable obstacles to conducting investigations into fatal shootings."

Concerns Raised by Legal Experts

Margot Pugliese, a criminal lawyer and representative of the NGO Flagrant Déni, outlined the practical consequences of the proposed law:

• "The law no longer requires an investigation to be opened immediately after the shooting"
• "Urgent investigations will not be conducted"
• "The police officer or gendarme will not be placed in custody"
• "Video surveillance will not be requested"
• "The vehicles involved will not be seized"

According to her, "the resulting risk is that it will be concretely impossible for the truth to emerge."

"This is a text that, originally, was part of Jean-Marie Le Pen's program in 2007," she accused. "The immediate consequence is to disinhibit law enforcement, who from now on, when in doubt, will shoot," she warned.

Human Rights Organizations Weigh In

Anne Savinel-Barras, president of Amnesty International France, denounced "a genuine setback for the rule of law" and a "license to kill" that risks "significantly increasing the number of deaths."

"Our determination is absolute so that the 'license to kill' law does not see the light of day," insisted MP Elsa Faucillon.

Public Mobilization and Next Steps

A petition against this text, whose admissibility will be examined Tuesday in the Law Committee, had exceeded 650,000 signatures on the National Assembly website as of Thursday. The MPs and associations are considering referring the matter to the Constitutional Council in the event of adoption.

Read also:

• Presumption of self-defense against law enforcement: why does this text spark such controversy? (Article reserved for subscribers)
• Presumption of self-defense for law enforcement: 'He who holds the power to fire a firearm must, when exercising it, answer for it before the courts' (Article reserved for subscribers)