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Why is French justice so slow?

Why is French justice so slow?

Reading time: 1 min - video: 1 min

It takes nearly three years to obtain a criminal judgment, and one year for civil proceedings. In France, these figures are a symptom of an overworked, understaffed, and underfunded justice system. Here are three key facts to help you understand.

First, the justice system resolves far fewer cases than before. Regarding everyday disputes, 1.9 million decisions were rendered in 2024. Ten years earlier, it was 2.7 million. The reasons: more numerous appeals, more complex procedures, but also a shortage of magistrates. For every 100,000 inhabitants, France has only 9.5 judges and 3.3 prosecutors. This is insufficient compared to Germany, which has 24.7 judges and 7.7 prosecutors for the same number of inhabitants, more than double the number.

Finally, the justice system is underfunded. The last European comparison dates from 2022. It shows that the French justice system spends €77 per capita; in Germany, it's nearly €136 per capita. While the French justice budget is constantly increasing, this remains insufficient to catch up.

Watch the full interview in the video above.

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