Conference of the Franco-British Lawyers Society

On 6 October 2023, the 30th annual conference of the Franco-British Lawyers Society was held at the Conseil d'Etat in Paris on the particularly topical and concrete subject of court congestion.

To mark the occasion, members of the Cour de cassation were able to address the French and British judges, lawyers, academics and students who had gathered for a day of round table discussions on new paradigms for justice and the fight against court congestion.

Introducing the afternoon's round tables, First President Mr. Christophe Soulard presented his views on the major challenges facing the justice system and the various potential organisational and digital solutions. The audience was given an opportunity to find out more about the latest innovations being developed by the Cour de cassation to manage case backlogs, reduce waiting times for decisions, and streamline the judicial process for judges and litigants. The First President spoke of the introduction of differentiated circuits that enable efficiency gains while preserving the collegiate nature of deliberations.

It was also an opportunity for the First President to talk about judicial practices that concern the lower courts, such as the role of juries and so-called 'negotiated justice' practices: mediation, approved agreements, plea bargaining in cases of tax fraud, and so-called simple divorce procedures.

On the subject of new technologies, the First President shared with the audience his thoughts on the profound changes that these tools can have on the practice of law for the various professions gathered at the conference.

The First President, who is very attached to the confidence that litigants have in the judicial institution, reiterated the importance of harnessing these new practices, tools and reforms with the aim of enhancing the transparency, efficiency and quality of the justice delivered.   

During the round table on new technologies, Mr Edouard Rottier, Judge Referee at the Court of Cassation's Documentation, Studies and Report Service (SDER), gave a more detailed presentation of the Court's artificial intelligence tools, which are mainly used to steer appeals towards chambers (speeding up this task by a factor of ten), the pseudonymisation of decisions, and more experimental uses such as the identification of discrepancies in case law and the automatic drafting of summaries.

The Prosecutor General Rémy Heitz, concluded the conference by giving his views on the importance of the issues addressed by the speakers at the conference's four round tables, in the light of his varied experience in the judiciary. The Prosecutor General expressed his confidence in the new digital tools and legal practices that can support the work of trial judges, and his interest in exchanges between the different professions, while reiterating the importance of a solid framework, particularly at European level. He recalled the many innovative developments in the justice system aimed at reducing delays, particularly in criminal matters with the appearance of the accused or the judicial public interest agreement. He highlighted the success of alternative dispute resolution methods.

This day was a privileged moment between the Cour de cassation and lawyers, jurists and academics from France and the United Kingdom.

The First President was enthusiastic about the links between French and British legal professionals, and he reminded us that these countries, although of different legal traditions, are united in their adherence to common fundamental values.