"LIBERTICIDE"
OU SÉCURITÉ?
FRENCH ORGANIZED CRIME STATUTE RAISES
CIVIL LIBERTY CONCERNS
28
November 2003
French
Justice Minister Dominique Perben has been pushing
a new legal initiative designed to facilitate his
efforts to combat organized crime. The Assemblée
Nationale has passed the law, creating a wave of The
law grants new powers to investigators which critics
say will threaten civil liberties in France. The law
is aimed at "adapting the law to fit the crime
(adapter la justice à la criminalité)".
According to Le Monde, critics went so far as to call
the new law an act of "liberticide".
Jean-Paul Lévy, President of the CNB, declared
"The balance between the power to accuse and
the rights of the defense is broken". [For more:
Le
Monde]
