Rachida Dati requests reinstatement to judiciary ten days before corruption trial
Under investigation since 2021, Rachida Dati has been offered a position as magistrate at her request, as her trial opens on 16 September. The move has drawn criticism from within the profession.
Return to the bench on eve of criminal court
Ten days before the opening of her corruption trial, Rachida Dati requested her reinstatement to the judiciary — and the Ministry of Justice offered her a position. According to France Info, the ministry confirmed the move in a statement: "Ms Dati has requested her reinstatement as magistrate, as is her right, and will shortly be appointed within the framework of the standard transparency procedure for magistrates."
The 58-year-old French right-wing figure had left the judiciary 23 years ago to pursue a political career, notably alongside Nicolas Sarkozy, whose Minister of Justice she was from 2007 to 2009. Having lost the municipal elections in Paris last March, she remains a Les Républicains mayor of the 7th arrondissement.
Under investigation since 2021
Since 2021, Rachida Dati has been under investigation for corruption and passive trafficking of influence. The charges relate to her activities on behalf of a Renault subsidiary when she was sitting in the European Parliament. She is to appear from 16 September before the Paris criminal court. The penalties risked amount to ten years' imprisonment and five years' ineligibility.
A "contradictory message" according to magistrates
Within the profession, the proposed return is divisive. Some magistrates are concerned about the impact on the image of the judicial institution. Ludovic Friat, president of the Union of Magistrates' Union, expressed his reservations in writing: "This plan for reinstatement a few days before a high-profile criminal trial involving the person in question sends a contradictory message."
Other voices within the profession emphasise that Dati is exercising a right that is legally recognised to her, independently of any ongoing criminal proceedings. The timing of the appointment remains, for now, subject to the standard transparency procedure applicable to all magistrates.
Source: France Info