“A figure of the century, a republican conscience, the French spirit”

4 mins

For many, Robert Badinter was seen as a “Sage of the Republic”. Regularly invited to the media to give his opinion on social issues, major political events, or to recall his fight against the death penalty, Robert Badinter was one of the great figures of the French left.

The President of the Republic, while specifying that a “ national tribute would be paid to him » did not fail to emphasize that he was a “ landmark for many generations “, ” a consciousness “. “ The nation has certainly lost a great man, a very great lawyer », on the sidelines of a trip to Bordeaux devoted to justice and the police.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal welcomes “ the man of law and values “.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, for his part, claims to have “not never encountered another being of this nature “.

Reserves on the right

“ For public opinion, I was the assassins’ lawyer », he admitted when talking about his fight against the death penalty. A definitive sentence, but which illustrates how this divisive debate is still underlying in French society and within the French extreme right: 81% of supporters of the National Rally say they are in fact in favor of its reestablishment, as do 51 % of LR supporters, a figure comparable to the general population -, according to the French Fractures study (Ipsos) published in October 2023.

The right-wing political class will therefore hardly miss anyone who constantly denounced the dangers of the extreme right. Marine Le Pen shyly greets the former Minister of Justice, as does the president of the RN, Jordan Bardella.

The boss of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti, soberly welcomed a “ emblematic figure of justice ”, recognizing that “ his fight for the abolition of the death penalty will remain engraved in our memories and our institutions “.

Other fights for democracy

He of course inspired a good number of lawyers for a good number of other fights as well, such as that on the decriminalization of homosexuality, on the end of exceptional jurisdictions such as the State Security Court. “ A commitment, a constant commitment to the recognition of a certain number of values ​​on human rights, on the rights of defense, everything that constitutes these fundamental values ​​of a democracy and on which we still need today be particularly vigilant. It was his fight, a constant fight of his life, and that will remain », Estimates lawyer Me Patrick Maisonneuve.

Robert Badinter’s fight was, moreover, not limited to French territory. The number of executions still recorded around the world pushed Robert Badinter to speak internationally, and particularly in Africa, where he met and spoke with numerous jurists and human rights defenders. His oratorical talents and his righteousness particularly inspired the Ivorian Paul Angaman, president of the International Federation of the organization ACAT, Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture.

Work with public authorities, ministers, heads of state for universal abolition throughout the world which will continue with the NGO Together Against the Death Penalty of which he was honorary president. “ We work on investigative missions on death row in Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, but also in Asia. Robert Badinter has always been there at our side, but he has not only been a tutelary figure. Above all, he was the one who guided our steps. He supported us, he encouraged us to explore themes that are not necessarily obvious, to work with parliamentarians from all countries. He captivated us with his charisma », Shares Raphaël Chenil Hazan, the director of Ensemble Against the Death Penalty.

Read alsoDeath of Robert Badinter, architect of the abolition of capital punishment in France