The time to take stock of her years in Roanne has arrived for Claudine Charre, president of the Roanne judicial court since September 2020. Next January, she will take the head of the Bourgoin-Jallieu jurisdiction in Isère.
How do you analyze the four and a half years spent in Roanne? I would say that we can divide them into three phases. The first was the first months of my arrival, in the middle of Covid. It was a really special time for work. It’s not a bad memory, but it was weird. Then there was a more normal time, where I was able to learn the role of president and work on the administrative level.
During the last period, this is the advantage when you stay in the same jurisdiction for a long time, I had more time to open the court to the outside world. There is still a lot to do, but I leave with the impression of having made my own little furrow.
Is it something important to you that Justice opens up to society? Yes, it’s something that’s really close to my heart. Justice must make itself known to be understood. We may have missed the evolution of society which is increasingly built on knowledge networks. Without becoming influencers, of course, we can admit that people do not accept understanding without knowledge. This is why we welcome a lot of interns, we make visits to the court or we organize The Night of Law .
In your opinion, what is still missing from the Roanne court today? A few more positions, even if things are going rather well. But as we are a small court, as soon as one person is missing, the organization is undermined. What we lack in terms of jurisdiction is a remand center within the detention center. It is a structure which is made for people already convicted, but with the installation of the Radicalization Prevention Unit (QPR) for women in January 2024, this shows that it is possible to accommodate prisoners whose file is still under investigation. This would avoid extraction problems with the La Talaudière Prison.
The Departmental Criminal Court in Roanne
Another idea that is personal to me, which is not that of the institution, would be for the Departmental Criminal Court to be held in Roanne for Roanne cases. These are assizes and not correctional, but it would be possible, because provided for by the texts. Here again, we would bring Justice closer to the litigant, this would give fluidity and visibility to Justice. These are two projects that make sense, I think, now that the Roanne judicial court is well established and there is no longer any talk of closure.
Did a case particularly strike you during your stay in Roanne? It is not a particular business, but a typology of business. Involuntary homicides remain extremely difficult for me to judge, particularly those on the road. The hearing does not repair much unfortunately, and very often we are left with people’s despair. The only incident in court that I had in Roanne took place during a case of manslaughter linked to a road accident. Everything is complicated, from the reception of both parties to the technicality of the file, very often. It’s a real challenge and requires a lot of thought to try to improve things.
On this subject, what is your opinion on the term “road homicide”, claimed by many victims? It is an act that remains involuntary, whether we like it or not, even if the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In any case, legally. Maybe there is a concept to create, I haven’t thought about it enough.
You will continue your career in Bourgoin-Jallieu, in January, again as president of the jurisdiction… I was initially supposed to leave for Grenoble as a judge, without being head of court. But recently, presidential positions opened up and the Superior Council of the Judiciary launched recruitment very quickly. This allowed me to apply and be selected for the Bourgoin-Jallieu court, still in Isère, of which I will take over as president in January. I don’t know the jurisdiction well, but it is a little larger than that of Roanne. Its particularity is to be close to two large cities, Lyon and Grenoble, so there will perhaps be another way of working, with undoubtedly a little less independence than in Roanne.
Appreciable independence in Roanne
Is it this room for maneuver that you appreciated here? It’s a small jurisdiction, everyone knows each other, the local network is easy to mobilize, everyone knows what they can ask for or not. As long as there is no problem, we can do whatever we want, the Court of Appeal trusts us and it works quite well. It’s very valuable. And it’s a shame that there aren’t many people who want to come to Roanne. This is a mistake because there is a very high quality of work and life here. It will remain an excellent experience for me.
You have always practiced in rather small jurisdictions. Is it a choice? My most important ones were Colmar or Valence, a little more important than Roanne, but I have never been to “big boutiques”, that’s not my thing. I like knowing and seeing people, so I can’t imagine being comfortable in something very compartmentalized, which is obligatory when there are too many people to manage.
