Beyond the budget, the union Unité Magistrats FO wants “structural reforms”

The transfer of power between Éric Dupond-Moretti and his successor at the Ministry of Justice, Didier Migaud, took place on Monday.

“If we want to have a budget that is effective and appropriate, we also need structural reforms for this Ministry of Justice” which works “with many archaisms”estimates Monday September 23 on franceinfo Béatrice Brugère, general secretary of the union Unité Magistrats FO, formerly called the national union of magistrates Force Ouvrière (SNM FO).

Former Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti warned his successor Didier Migaud during the handover of power on Monday that if the Justice programming law is not respected, it would be “a betrayal and a devastating signal“while the Justice budget could well suffer a blow. The unionist welcomes “real will and effectiveness” by Eric Dupond-Moretti who has “snatched a budget that is much larger for justice.”

But Béatrice Brugère regrets that some “structural reforms” have not been carried out: “It would have required a much more significant reform of HR, of the efficiency of justice and of simplification so that justice becomes at the same time efficient, not too techno, very human and that it is effective”she said. She sent a message to the new Minister of Justice: “I hope that this will be done, because if we want to have a budget that is effective and appropriate, we also need structural reforms for this Ministry of Justice, which is a ministry that sometimes has many archaisms in its operating methods.”she says.

Didier Migaud expressed on Monday his desire to strengthen the confidence of the French in the judicial institution. 68% of French people find the justice system lax, according to a CSA survey released this week. “The number one challenge will be to restore confidence in justice,” confirms Beatrice Brugère. “There is no trust, sometimes there is even mistrust. The subject of trust is going to be very important. It must also be earned internally among magistrates.”she warns.

Even if the lifespan of this new government is uncertain, Béatrice Brugère calls on the new Minister of Justice to draw “a course and a vision”because “There is a distortion today between the expectations of citizens and what justice produces. We must be aware of this and we must see it with humility and rationality.”she said.