The Installation Of A Court To Try Foreigners In Roissy Creates Controversy

From October, foreigners arriving by international flight and not admitted to enter France must be tried in an annex of the court of Bobigny at the airport of Roissy.

In France, the polemic swells about the forthcoming opening of the airport of Roissy, north of Paris, of an annex court Bobigny where must be tried foreigners not admitted to the territory. On Monday 29 May, a delegation of lawyers reiterated their opposition to the project during an on-site visit.

The building stands a few dozen meters from the runways at Roissy airport. The lawyers are welcomed by Renaud Le Breton de Vannoise, president of the Court of Bobigny. He leads the visit and tries to convince them.

"Here there are all the material conditions to ensure the dignity of the people", he assures.

But the brand new premises do not seduce. Valérie Grimaud, president of the Seine-Saint-Denis Bar, remains opposed to this annex. According to her, she is too far from the court and this will harm the foreigners who will be tried there.

"People in the waiting area do not ask for a comfortable courtroom, they demand a guarantee of the expression of their rights, " she argues. By isolating this jurisdiction, no one will come and see what happens there. I will have a lot of difficulties, I, as a barrister, to ensure the security of the judicial decision.  "

Visitors are standing in front of their representative. None of them want this annex.

"Justice of exception"

Judge Laurence Blisson, Secretary General of the Union of Magistrates, asks the new government to bury this project. "  It is essential for us to have a change, of course, to make it clear that foreign persons are not subject to exceptional justice, but are tried in a court and not on the tarmac", She argues.

If the discussions with the government are not successful, the Seine-Saint-Denis Bar is considering turning to the European Court of Justice to try to win the case.