Criminal procedure

“If the power of interpreting laws be an evil, obscurity in them must be another, as the former is the consequence of the latter. This evil will be still greater, if the laws be written in a language unknown to the people; who, being ignorant of the consequences of their own actions, become necessarily dependent on a few, who are interpreters of the laws, which, instead of being public and general, are thus rendered private and particular.”

(Beccaria, On Crimes and Punishments).

On June 23, 2023, the Paris Administrative Court handed down a judgment whereby the it decided to withdraw the accreditation of the anticorruption association Anticor, accreditation granted on April 2, 2021, which allowed it to act as a civil party in cases concerning in particular corruption and breaches of probity.

French criminal law is to be interpreted strictly. This principle, enshrined in Article 111-4 of the French Criminal Code, is a principle that permeates French criminal law. It follows that criminal law rules must be applied literally.

In a ruling issued on February 1, 2023, the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court) recalled this principle of strict interpretation of French criminal law in a case concerning the refusal of restitution of a seized property.

The use of drones, once reserved for the military, is now widespread.

In fact, drones are receiving a high level of interest from investigation services. Even more, they are now becoming indispensable security tools, as shown by the recent acquisition by the City of Toulouse of several drones to protect its inhabitants.

But can these drones be used to secure evidence in a criminal case?

The Criminal Chamber of the Cour de Cassation (French Supreme Court) ruled on this question on November 15, 2022.