Legal Developments in Media Case Law in France: 2014-2015
Explore judicial developments in media case law in France from 2014 to 2015, including significant court rulings on issues such as freedom of expression, religious beliefs, and the impact of terrorist attacks on legal debates. The content delves into key cases and decisions, providing insights into the evolving legal landscape in France.
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Judicial developments in Media Judicial developments in Media case Law France in 2014 case Law France in 2014 (and what to expect in 2015 )
French French legal www.legifrance.gouv.fr www.legifrance.gouv.fr legal references references: :
2015 and the 2015 and the terrorist terrorist attack HEBDO HEBDO attack against against CHARLIE CHARLIE We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools told Martin Luther King . It has to be remembered that before the violence of Kalashnikov fire, we had a legal debate in a a case brought to Court by Islamic associations and the Great Mosque of Paris in 2008: Court of appeal, Paris, 11ech. A, 12 mars 2008 (Legipresse n 252, june 2008, III, p. 107, comm. Henri Leclerc) It was ruled that the caricatures of Mahomet were not racist insults as their aim was a part and not the whole muslim community and do not constitute an insult, which is a personal and direct attack against a group of people because of their worship. Therefore, those caricatures do not infringe the admissible limit to freedom of expression, which has to be prescribed by Law with a strict interpretation, under international and national Law At the opposite, constitute a racist insult the words from a humorist: the Jews, that is a sect, a swindle. One of the most serious as it is the first Ass. Plen., 16 f vr. 2007, n 06-81785, affaire Dieudonn : les juifs, c est une secte, une escroquerie. C est une des plus graves parce que c est la premi re Here, the whole community is targeted, therefore the offence is constituted.
What What about about freedom freedomof expression and of expression and religious The Veil question The Veil question religious beliefs beliefs ? ? An employee refuse to take off her veil, despite the internal regulation. It has been ruled by the Cour de cassation (the higher jurisdiction in the French judicial system) that the dismissal was justified as she refused to take into account the employer s lawful demands to refrain from wearing a veil Assemblee pleniere, 25 juin 2014 (N de pourvoi: 13-28369) Question: is it possible to unveil blasphemy and to accept the free veil as a mutual freedom of expression ? What is necessary in a democratic society
Necessary Necessary in a in a democratic democratic society society For the European Court of Human rights, it means: - A pressing social need; - A proportionate measure to the aim pursued
The protection of a strict, The protection of a strict, precise precise and Media Law Media Law and old old statute statute in in Cour de cassation, 1rstcivil chamber, 11 mars 2014, N de pourvoi: 13- 11706 Vu les articles 29 de la loi du 29 juillet 1881 et 10 de la Convention de sauvegarde des droits de l homme et des libert s fondamentales; la libert d expression est un droit dont l exercice rev t un caract re abusif dans les cas sp cialement d termin s par la loi : Abuse of freedom of speech has to be specially determined by Law. - importance of this old statute of July 1881: one of the first Statutes of the 3rd French Republic; - Importance of the European Convention of Human Rights: Paris quotes Strasbourg
Media Law Media Law statute statute v. Civil Code v. Civil Code Cour de cassation, 1st civil chamber, 2 july 2014, PPR(N de pourvoi: 13- 16730): about business speech hors restriction l galement pr vue, la libert d expression est un droit dont l exercice, sauf d nigrement de produits ou services, ne peut tre contest sur le fondement de l article 1382 du code civil Freedom of expression cannot be limited under the provisions of article 1382 of the civil code, except for denigration Article 1382: Every act whatever of man that causes damage to another, obliges him by whose fault it occurred to repair it. Comment: The 1881 Statute is the legal frame of Freedom of expression. The Court quotes the article 10 of the ECHR in order to rule that the boundaries of 2 have not been overstepped
The The European European convention & the convention & the guarantee Freedom Freedomof expression of expression guarantee of of Cour de cassation, criminal chamber, 12 november 2014, Vu l article 10 de la Convention europ enne des droits de l homme ; Attendu que la libert d expression ne peut tre soumise des ing rences que dans le cas o celles-ci constituent des mesures n cessaires au regard du paragraphe 2 de l article 10 de la Convention europ enne des droits de l homme et des libert s fondamentales Under the provisions of article 10 of the ECHR, freedom of expression can only be limited for the purposes of 2 of article 10 if the measures are necessary in a democratic society.
Value Value judgement judgement & & factual the implementation implementation of the factual basis European convention in convention in national Law national Law basis the of the European Cour de cassation , criminal chamber, 6 mai 2014 (N de pourvoi: 12- 87789) Vu l article 10 de la Convention europ enne des droits de l homme ; Attendu que la libert d expression ne peut tre soumise des ing rences que dans les cas o celles-ci constituent des mesures n cessaires au regard du paragraphe 2 de l article 10 pr cit les propos incrimin s, qui s inscrivaient dans le contexte d un d bat d int r t g n ral relatif une question d urbanisme soulev e par le maintien prolong d un ouvrage provisoire sur un site class , et qui reposaient sur une base factuelle suffisante, ne d passaient pas les limites admissibles de la libert d expression dans la critique, par le maire de l arrondissement concern , du comportement des concepteurs dudit ouvrage - Quotation of the European convention; - No conviction if what is said is linked to a debate of general interest and based on a sufficient factual basis (same solution: cass., crim., 2 septembre 2014, N de pourvoi: 12-87322)
Freedom Freedomof of political political debate debate Cour de cassation, criminal chamber, 2 september 2014 (N de pourvoi: 13- 85062): about the leader of French National Front and her opinion about communitarianism si les propos litigieux pr taient la partie civile des agissements contraires la loi et la morale publique, ils n exc daient pas les limites de la libert d expression dans le contexte de la pol mique politique et du d bat d mocratique if some acts against Law and morals were attributed to the plaintiff, the impugned article did not exceed the limits of freedom of expression in a context of political controversy and democratic debate Comment: looks like an heritage of the 4 freedoms speech of F.D Roosevelt in 1941 (State of the Union address)
To To act act in good in good faith faith Cour de cassation, 1rst civil chamber, 2 juillet 2014 (N de pourvoi: 13- 20219) If the journalist acts in good faith, therefore he cannot be convicted and this good faith has to be appreciated with regard to the style of the magazine, especially when it is a satirical one: la l gitimit du but poursuivi n tait pas s rieusement contestable et que l enqu te r alis e s appuyait sur des documents publics, notamment des d lib rations du conseil municipal de Vittel, d autre part, que le ton utilis , comme la prudence et la mesure de l expression, devaient tre appr ci s au regard du caract re satirique de la publication litigieuse
A Case Law notion: to A Case Law notion: to act act in good in good faith faith 4 conditions: - To pursue a legitimate aim; - Lack of personal animosity; - Caution and measure in expression; - To check and cross the sources
What shall we watch out in 2015 ? What shall we watch out in 2015 ? The trend of case Law will certainly be the same. We will have the 18th of march the judgment about the humorist Dieudonne. He told after the terrorist attack, instead of I am CHARLIE : I feel like Charlie COULIBALY (name of one of the terrorist) and was prosecuted for apology of terrorism. The prosecutor called for a fine of 30 000 and imprisonment if not paid as the humorist had already been convicted for racist speech. The maximum penalty is 7 years imprisonment and a fine of 100 000 (art. 421-2-5 of the Penal Code)
Beware Beware the State! the State! we have to be careful about legislative reforms from the French Government. The trend is to gut the 1881 statute and to put the new provisions in common civil and criminal Codes. This means easier prosecutions (without the special proceedings of article 53 of the 1881 statute) and longer statutes of limitation Statute on Fight against terrorism, 13 novembre 2014: apology of terrorism- art. 24 - 6 is now art. 421-2-5 of the Penal Code: Statute of limitation: 3 years instead of 3 monthes; administrative against websites and providers action to remove contents linked to provocation or apology of terrorism Precedents: 9 march 2004 Statute : statute of limitation: 1 year for racist speech
Civil society & the public Civil society & the public watchdog watchdog The threat is national and comes from the State Rule of Law is not rule of State, as the State is a tool and not an end. Remember the words of an american feminist writer: Rights that depend on the sufferance of the State are of uncertain tenure Suzanne La Follette, Concerning Women, 1926
