France Ministry of Justice

Justice des Mineurs: Four Research Project Calls, Deadline July 3, 2026

The Direction de la Protection Judiciaire de la Jeunesse (DPJJ) has published four calls for research projects under its 2026 scientific programme. The calls cover: the educational relationship with PJJ youth; the role of family and social networks in juvenile penal cases; youth attitudes toward weapons; and pathways for social and professional reintegration of minors under PJJ supervision. Research teams are invited to submit proposals by July 3, 2026.

Women in French Judiciary: 1946 Law Opens Doors, Now 72% of Magistrates

The French Ministry of Justice published an 80th anniversary retrospective on women gaining access to the judiciary. The law of 11 April 1946 officially opened the magistracy to women, who represented less than 1% that year (1 magistrate). By 2026, women constitute 72% of all magistrates in France, surpassing parity achieved in 2002. However, women hold only 43% of jurisdictional leadership positions, indicating persistent challenges in accessing top responsibilities.

Mediation Council Final Report, CNM 2026 Prize Winners Announced

The Conseil national de la médiation submitted its final report on April 16, 2026, concluding a three-year mandate with 75 recommendations for quality mediation practice. Recommendations include publishing an ethics code for mediators, training guidelines, and a mediation charter for enterprises. The CNM 2026 Prize was awarded to four schools for mediation projects themed 'Jeunesse et médiations', organized in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of National Education.

Criminal Justice Bill Creates Fast-Track Procedure for Admitted Crimes

The French Ministry of Justice has presented a criminal justice bill to Parliament that creates a new Procedure for Judgment of Recognized Crimes (PJCR), allowing faster trials when defendants admit facts. The bill also expands where criminal trials can be held to all 164 judicial tribunals, simplifies departmental criminal court rules, authorizes genetic genealogy in investigations, and creates a judicial psychologist status. The government will allocate 12 million euros to build courtrooms and add 35 magistrates and 80 clerk staff to nine appeal courts.

Victim Assistance 2026 Project Calls: Discrimination, Road Offenses, Foreign Victims, Terrorism, Restorative Justice

The French Ministry of Justice published five 2026 project calls for victim assistance associations on April 8, 2026. The calls cover discrimination victims (origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity), road traffic offense victims, foreign victims, terrorism victims, and restorative justice programs. Application deadline is May 20, 2026 at 23:59 Paris time. Selected projects will be announced and subsidies disbursed starting July 8, 2026.