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French Liaison Judge
Nov 30, 2021
All meetings are adhering closely to coronavirus restrictions including around physical distancing and mask wearing.
The judge, Estelle Cros, will be accompanied for part of her visit by the French Consul General to Scotland, Laurence Pais.
The judge, who is attached to the French embassy in London and acts as a liaison magistrate, will spend time, in physically distanced meetings, with representatives from across the justice system including senior judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers, and members of both the Judicial Institute and the Scottish Sentencing Council.
Topics will include family and child law.
The visit was organised by Lord Ericht to facilitate closer communication between the two countries on issues within their jurisdictions.
He said: “It is an honour to host the French Liaison Magistrate and Consul General. The programme aims to provide our French colleagues with an even better understanding of the Scottish justice system and enables us to work more effectively together on a wide range of legal matters. I am grateful to all who have volunteered their time to help ensure that the visit is a worthwhile and valuable experience for all.”
The magistrate is appointed by the French Ministry of Justice to deal with matters such as: mutual legal assistance requests including in relation to civil, commercial and family matters; European arrest warrants; implementation of the new European Investigative Order; updating and reporting on the development of criminal judicial cooperation (such as summits and rencontres on organized crime cooperation between France and the UK); and briefing on justice matters.