{"id":16344,"date":"2020-01-14T11:27:46","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T19:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/jugement-correctionnel-cour-dappel-de-lyon-no-19168000015-16-sept-2019\/"},"modified":"2025-01-16T10:42:32","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T18:42:32","slug":"fr_portraitmacron_16sept19","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/resource\/fr_portraitmacron_16sept19","title":{"rendered":"Jugement Correctionnel, Cour d'Appel de Lyon, n.\u00ba 19168000015 (16 de septiembre de 2019)"},"content":{"rendered":"

French Court upholds civil disobedience as an alternative to the right to public participation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The French Criminal Court in Lyon, on September 16, 2019, excused civil disobedience as an appropriate way to address the government when the government is not taking sufficient action in a vital area such as climate change. Jugement Correctionnel, Cour d\u2019Appel de Lyon, No. 19168000015 (16 Sept 2019)<\/em>. The decision came after a group of climate change activists invaded the municipal council of Lyon, took down President Macron\u2019s portrait, and kept \u00a0it to use in a public demonstration during the 2019 G7 Summit.<\/p>\n

The accused activists are members of the \u201cAssociation non-violente COP21<\/em>,\u201d a non-violent group advocating for the enforcement of France\u2019s obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and subsequent agreements. Following their actions, police investigations identified two members of \u201cAssociation non-violente COP21<\/em>\u201dand charged them with \u201ctheft in association.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the trial, the accused presented themselves as ordinary activists from an unspecified group with the sole objective of \u201cto symbolically steal the President\u2019s portrait as a message demanding concrete action for the climate, not anyone\u2019s resignation.\u201d[1]<\/a> Defendants called in Cecile Duflot, a former Minister and ecologist to testify. During her testimony, she asserted that lack of political will is responsible for France\u2019s failure to comply with requirements of the 2015 Paris Accord addressing climate change. She further submitted that in March 2019, many associations filed a complaint with the State Council but the complaint failed to provide a favorable remedy. Unfortunately, only the President has the mandate to order compulsory measures relating to such emergency. Similarly, an expert in \u00a0global ecology emphasized the need for rapid changes in society if global warming will be maintained below 20 <\/sup>C as required in the Paris Accord.<\/p>\n

The Court noted that the defendants argued that the use of \u201clegal channels and warnings of scientists\u201d are insufficient to stir policy change. [2]<\/a> The defendants asked for an acquittal recognizing the necessity of their actions in the face of grave and imminent danger. The Court, therefore, held that non-violent civil disobedience is an effective strategy to educate populations with a view to policy change. In addition to other arguments, the defense team made oral and written arguments that \u201ca state of necessity legitimizes a proportionate criminal act intended to avert serious and impending danger.\u201d[3]<\/a> The prosecution rejected this argument on grounds that there \u201cexisted no relationship between the act committed and a legitimately defended cause.\u201d In reaction, the defense, argued that \u201cshort of alternative strategies, defendants resorted to confront state authorities through such measured action.\u201d<\/p>\n

In disagreeing with the prosecution, the Court reasoned that theft only materializes after putting together some key ingredients. One of these ingredients according to the Court is the economic consequences of the act. The Court, noted that here, the Council of Lyon did bring a civil claim seeking damages and financial loss, implying defendants\u2019 act did not cause economic loss. The Court then held that by only removing an object of symbolic value from the Council as an alternative form of communication, defendants did not commit theft.<\/p>\n

The Court also considered the defendants\u2019 decision to avoid all forms of violent resistance, their strategic planning, and preparation of their operations taking into consideration the timing and the possible effects of media reporting. Additionally, the Court recognized the defendant\u2019s conscious decision to keep the President\u2019s portrait and use in a future event as a carefully calculated move void of violence.<\/p>\n

Besides the criminal aspects of the case, the Court reaffirmed the damaging role climate change is playing on humanity\u2019s future. These court specifically cited natural cataclysms, the modification of flora and fauna without adequate time for natural adaptation, violent conflicts, and the inability of poor countries to handle the negative effects of climate change.\u00a0 Concerning the French Government\u2019s international and national commitments regarding climate change, the Court upheld defendants\u2019 argument that France failed to respect these commitments. Consequently, the Court reasoned that \u201cin a democratic state, when the government fails to respect its obligations, especially those considered minimal in a critical sector, citizens must not be restrained to universal suffrage expressed only during elections, but must invent alternative forms of participation as part of a critical duty of care.\u201d[4]<\/a><\/p>\n

Following this reasoning, the Court further held that civil disobedience is an alternative for public participation in as much as \u201corganizations and associations convey their messages to the government and strive to prevent a sudden influx of people with uncertain intentions capable of disturbing public order.\u201d[5]<\/a> In applying this principle in the case under consideration, the Court acquitted the accused on two grounds. First, the Court held that \u201cthough the defendants did not declare their gathering to state authorities, their brief invasion of the municipal building destined to citizen administration and taking it hostage, without violence or concealed intentions, they remained peaceful and thereby conveyed an expressly peaceful demonstration unlikely to disturb public order.\u201d[6]<\/a> The Court equally held that when citizens are deeply invested in a particular cause that serves the general good, , remain dedicated to that cause, and avoid accompanying their advocacy with reprehensible acts, such advocacy must be interpreted as the necessary substitute for impracticable dialogue between the President and the people. In conclusion, by agreeing with defendants that civil disobedience is an alternative method of public participation, the court adopts \u201cnecessity defense\u201d as an effective strategy in climate change advocacy to avert the impending dangers of climate change.<\/p>\n

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[1]<\/a> Unofficial translation. Original: \u201cde d\u00e9crocher symboliquement le portrait du pr\u00e9sident de la R\u00e9publique pour r\u00e9clamer de l\u2019\u00c9tat non de d\u00e9missions de personnes mais de l\u2019action concr\u00e8te en faveur du climat.\u201d Jugement Correctionnel, page 5.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[2]<\/a> Unofficial translation. Original: \u201c. . . l’usage de voies l\u00e9gales et les avertissements des scientifiques ne sont pas des bras de levier suffisants . . . .\u201d Jugement Correctionnel, page 6.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[3]<\/a> Unofficial translation. Original: \u201cun acte delictueux proportionn\u00e9 proportionne a l’eloignement d’un danger grave et imminent,\u201dpage 6.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[4]<\/a> Unofficial translation. Original: \u201c[F]ace au d\u00e9faut de repect par l\u2019\u00c9tat d\u2019objectifs pouvant \u00eatre per\u00e7us comme minimaux dans un domaine vital, le mode d\u2019expression des citoyens en pays d\u00e9mocratique ne peut se r\u00e9duire aux suffrages expreim\u00e9s lors de \u00e9ch\u00e9ances \u00e9lectorales mais doit inventer d\u2019autres formes de participation dans le cadre d\u2019un devoir de vigilance critique[.]\u201d Jugement Correctionnel, page 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[5]<\/a> Unofficial translation. Original: \u201cdes messages \u00e0 l\u2019adresse du gouvernement peuvent ainsi \u00eatre diffus\u00e9s au moyen de rassemblements dont les organisateurs et les autorit\u00e9s s\u2019efforcent de limiter le trouble \u00e0 l\u2019ordre public que pourrait provoquer une affluence soudaine de personnes aux intentions imm\u00e9diates incertaines.\u201d Jugement Correctionnel, page 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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[6]<\/a> Unofficial translation. Original: \u201c[m\u00eame non-declar\u00e9e preablement en pr\u00e9fecture, investissant pendant quelques minutes un b\u00e2timent affect\u00e9 \u00e0 l’administration des citoyens et ses abords, sans bousculade ni dissimulation sur son mobile ou ses d\u00e9placements, rev\u00eat un caract\u00e8re manifestement pacifique de nature \u00e0 constituer un trouble \u00e0 l’ordre public tr\u00e8s mod\u00e9r\u00e9,\u201d page 7.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

El Tribunal Penal franc\u00e9s en Lyon, el 16 de septiembre de 2019, excus\u00f3 la desobediencia civil como una forma apropiada de dirigirse al gobierno cuando este no est\u00e1 tomando medidas suficientes en un \u00e1rea vital como el cambio clim\u00e1tico.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","resource-topic":[43,53],"resource-type":[528],"resource-category":[30097],"content-for-websites":[30101],"region":[755,544],"class_list":["post-16344","resource","type-resource","status-publish","hentry","resource-topic-climate-change","resource-topic-crimes","resource-type-cases","resource-category-legal","content-for-websites-climate","region-france","region-western-europe"],"blocksy_meta":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/16344","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"resource-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-topic?post=16344"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=16344"},{"taxonomy":"resource-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-category?post=16344"},{"taxonomy":"content-for-websites","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-for-websites?post=16344"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elaw.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=16344"}],"curies":[{"name":"gracias","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}