While the Estates General of Justice are contested by the unions, the demonstrations of lawyers and magistrates are increasing and anger is mounting at the lack of resources, the Grenoble bar is approaching a new page in its history. For the first time, two co-presidents have been invested at the head of the bar, elected by the lawyers to represent them. Me Jean-Yves Balestas and Me Sylvia Rizzi form this new duo. The two co-presidents were officially invested this Monday, January 17, with several challenges to overcome.
France Bleu Isère: A pair to represent lawyers is a first. Why this decision?
Jean-Yves Balestas: This is a first for the bar of Grenoble. It is a will of the colleagues to affirm that indeed a bar is made up of men and women. It is important that each gender is represented and beyond that, the judicial institutions are also organized in pairs: there is a first president, a general prosecutor, a president of the judicial court, a prosecutor of the judicial court and I think that the balance was needed in matters of justice.
Beyond the display of parity, how does this materialize?
Sylvia Rizzy: We are very complementary, we have known each other for a very long time. So it will materialize with a shared work. Some tasks will be done in pairs because they require two to take on responsibilities that are important, others that we will divide up. I will be more present in daily life and for the daily lives of our colleagues and in relations with magistrates. Jean Yves Balestas will be more turned towards the economic world, the political world and the presence of the lawyer in the city. I will also do more training.
You take office in full States General of Justice, launched by the minister, but deemed insufficient by the unions. There have been strong mobilizations recently, in particular lawyers. Do you sense anger among your colleagues?
Jean-Yves Balestas: Anger is not the word. The professions that contribute to the work of justice – magistrates, clerks, lawyers – jointly analyze the situation: we need justice, recourse to justice becomes necessary and even more urgent in times of crisis. But the means are not there and the reflection on the judicial organization is to be resumed. This is the idea of the Keeper of the Seals. I believe that today, we must go further, that is to say together, think about less legislation, but more preparation, more means also for us to work together.
What are the priorities of this new mandate?
Sylvia Rizzy: The priorities of this new mandate, for both of us, is to reinject a little enthusiasm into this bar because the two years of health crisis have of course had consequences on the state of the profession, in Grenoble of course. , as everywhere in France. We want to restore a little dynamism, reactivate the training that we have not been able to assume for two years face-to-face, which is always much more complete. And then to be effectively present in our city, because during these two years of health crisis, everyone has withdrawn a little into themselves and our Bar, a bit like all economic entities, needs to get out a bit.
Is there a specificity of the bar of Grenoble compared to other bars?
Jean-Yves Balestas: Grenoble is the capital of the Alps. So necessarily, sports law is an important point for our bar. And then, the Court of Appeal of Grenoble is recognized as the specialty of environmental law. It is therefore two actions that are to be carried out in the years to come. And indeed, this requires mobilization, particularly in terms of training on these specific legal topics.
How many lawyers are registered with the Grenoble bar and how are these numbers changing?
Sylvia Rizzy: We have about twenty young lawyers who have just taken the oath to join the 580 lawyers of the Grenoble Bar. Let’s even say around 650 with honorary lawyers, who continue to be present in the life of our Bar. It is therefore an important bar in relation to the economic basin which represents the Grenoble basin, but very dynamic.
We have a special day on young people on France Bleu today, does the Grenoble bar attract young lawyers?
Jean-Yves Balestas: The Grenoble Bar is young, it is dynamic, but to enter the legal profession, university degrees and the Law School, that is not enough. You have to work on a daily basis, practice. And that is the role of the two presidents that we are. We must accompany these young people so that they love this profession so that they do not leave it, because unfortunately, at times, there are young people who leave out of discouragement. We are there to help them, to be tutors.