MINISTER OF JUSTICE. His reappointment to government seemed unthinkable, yet Éric Dupond-Moretti remains Minister of Justice for Emmanuel Macron’s next five-year term.
[Mis à jour le 20 mai 2022 à 16h41] Minister of Justice for just under two years, Éric Dupond-Moretti would like to extend his stay on Place Vendôme and he sees his wish granted. The secretary general of the Elysée confirmed the renewal of the minister in the new government this Friday, May 20. This is one of the surprises of the reshuffle since, according to the rumors, the dismissal of a tenor from the bar was the most likely scenario, particularly given his conflicting and hostile relations with legal authorities but above all accusations for conflict or taking illegal interest.
Éric Dupond-Moretti remains Minister of Justice
Éric Dupond-Moretti likes to head the Ministry of Justice and his mandate as Keeper of the Seals, which began in July 2020, has been extended for a few years. It was not, however, that this hinted at the unanimous rumors about the reshuffle on the departure of the government minister. Eric Dupond-Moretti himself would have got wind of the news and made “forcing with the Elysée according to the indiscretions of theObs. Would the maneuvers with the Head of State have convinced? Possible. It is not in any case a lack of potential candidates that explains the renewal of the Keeper of the Seals because several names have been mentioned to take over from the experienced lawyer at the head of the ministry. Eric Dupond-Morretti finally got the better of the casting.
Who was in the running to become Minister of Justice?
It is an unexpected reversal of the situation, despite all the reasons which led to believe in the departure of Eric Dupond-Moretti from the government, the lawyer retains his post as Minister of Justice. Several surnames have however been mentioned to replace him but none should settle on the Place Vendôme. The most recurrent option according to theObs was that of Remy Heitz, the Attorney General of the Paris Court of Appeal. The magistrate has risen through the ranks and seems to have the favors of the head of state who would have pushed his appointment as public prosecutor of Paris in 2018 in favor of other candidates acclaimed by the Minister of Justice at the time. , Nicole Belloubet. Rémy Heitz is not totally unknown to the Ministry of Justice since he worked in his cabinets by integrating in 1992 and in 2017 the direction of criminal affairs and pardons (DACG). The magistrate has other ministerial experiences on the counter: he was chief of staff for the minister delegate for relations with the National Assembly in 1994 but also technical adviser for justice and interministerial delegate for road safety to the Prime Minister between 2002 and 2006.
According to early leaks and an unofficial list of the name shakeup Yael Braun Pivet for Justice was also mentioned. The lawyer specializing in criminal law and activist has also been a deputy for the 5th district of Yvelines since 2017. A former member of the Socialist Party, she is part of the left who joined Emmanuel Macron’s La République en Marche. Also, named Yaël Braun Pivet would have been a slight sign sent to the left electorate for this new five-year term.
Catherine Vautrin was also in the running to inherit the Ministry of Justice, having been a strong favorite for the post of Prime Minister. Informed of the appointment of Elisabeth Borne at the head of the government a few hours before the formalization, the former minister could have finally appeared at the head of a large ministry according to the JDD while Point advanced the hypotheses of Justice and Health. At the end of April, the day after the re-election of Emmanuel Macron, the appointment of Bertrand Delanoë, former socialist mayor of Paris, as Minister of Justice was also considered in the columns of theObs.
Functions, teams, address… What is the role of the Minister of Justice?
The Keeper of the Seals, Minister of Justice and both the guarantor and manager of the French judicial system. From his ministry, also called the “Chancellerie”, located on Place Vendôme, the Keeper of the Seals carries out two essential missions: the administration of Justice for which he manages the various jurisdictions and numerous services and the preparation of legal texts , including bills and regulations in the legal fields. As the big boss of Justice, his role is also to put in place the public policies that govern and are supposed to improve the judicial system. In addition to the professionals who work at or for the Ministry of Justice, the Keeper of the Seals must also take charge of all persons entrusted to the judicial authority.
To cover all the jurisdictions and Justice services, the Ministry has divided and distributed its powers into five directorates, all dedicated to a field of action. A central general secretariat oversees everything and carries out cross-cutting missions such as access to justice or assistance to victims. The Minister of Justice therefore has five departments under his command: directorate of civil affairs and the seal (DACS) for the civil and commercial law but also public and constitutional law, it also regulates the judicial and legal professions; the Directorate of Criminal Affairs and Pardons (DACG) for criminal and clemency reviews; the directorate of judicial services (DSJ) ensures the functioning and working conditions in the courts and tribunals; the Department of Prison Administration (DAP) for the execution of sentences and rehabilitation; the directorate of judicial protection of youth (DPJJ)responsible for protection policies for minors, their care and their social, educational and professional integration.
Who are the previous Ministers of Justice?
The Ministry of Justice, thus named since 1790, is the administrator of French justice. Hundreds of personalities marched there to take on the role of Keeper of the Seals, including three during Emmanuel Macron’s first five-year term: François Bayrou, Nicole Belloubet and Éric Dupond-Moretti. Who were the former Ministers of Justice?
- Jacques Toubon (May 18, 1995 – June 2, 1997)
- Elisabeth Guigou (June 4, 1997 – October 18, 2000)
- Marylise Lebranchu (October 18, 2000 – May 6, 2022)
- Dominique Perben (May 7, 2002 – May 31, 2005)
- Pascal Clément (June 2, 2005 – May 15, 2007)
- Rachida Dati (May 18, 2007 – June 23, 2009)
- Michèle Alliot-Marie (June 23, 2009 – November 13, 201)
- Michel Mercier (November 14, 2010 – May 10, 2012)
- Christiane Taubira (May 16, 2012 – January 27, 2016)
- Jean-Jacques Urvoas (January 27, 2016 – May 17, 2017)
- François Bayrou (May 17, 2017 – June 21, 2017)
- Nicole Belloubet (June 21, 2017 – July 6, 2020)
- Éric Dupond-Moretti (July 6, 2020 – today)