Overview
- The National Assembly approved the bill 357–177 on Tuesday, July 7, and deputies and senators reached a joint compromise in a commission mixte paritaire on Wednesday, July 8, opening the way to final parliamentary ratification.
- The government removed its flagship criminal 'plaider-coupable' proposal under pressure from a broad lawyers’ mobilization and opposition MPs, so the bill no longer creates a formal criminal plea-bargaining procedure.
- The agreed text preserves measures to allow police and judges to consult private recreational genetic databases, a move the ministry says could help solve cold cases but raises privacy and extraterritorial data concerns.
- The compromise restores or keeps several changes to cours criminelles départementales, including a government promise to create 60 additional courts and a provision to extend some competencies to recidivists, which critics say risks weakening assize court roles.
- Contested procedural tweaks such as emergency detention extensions and shortened nullity deadlines remain in the text and several opposition groups have signaled they will ask the Conseil constitutionnel to review specific provisions.