Overview

• On June 19 the Constitutional Council struck down six articles of the juvenile justice reform adopted by Parliament in mid-May.
• The censured measures included immediate court appearances for repeat offenders aged 16 to 18 and the removal of sentence mitigation for recidivist minors.
• The council ruled that those provisions conflicted with the 1945 juvenile justice ordinance by undermining the principle that education should prevail over punishment.
• Gabriel Attal announced plans to draft a new bill that incorporates the council’s guidance while preserving the reform’s core objectives.
• Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin voiced support for lowering the criminal majority age to 16 through a constitutional amendment.