updates with further quotes

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Wednesday September 13, 2006

Paris- In unusually strong terms, the two main unions representing French judges denounced Wednesday's appointment of President Jacques Chirac's former legal advisor as public prosecutor of Paris. Dominique Barella, head of the Union of Magistrates (USM) slammed the appointment of Laurent Le Mesle as "a strong symbol of the shackling of the judicial system."

Barella added: "On the evidence, the Minister of Justice decided to ignore all the concerns that had been expressed."

Judges and opposition politicians had previously criticized the long-expected nomination of Le Mesle because of his close ties with Chirac.

Chirac, who is expected not to stand in next year's elections and would thereby lose his immunity from prosecution, may be called to testify in a corruption affair dating from when he was mayor of Paris.

In that case, it will be Le Mesle, his former legal counsellor, who will be charged with relaunching and pursuing the procedure.

The secretary general of the Magistrature Trade Union (SM), Come Jacqmin, said that the nomination represented "a new demonstration of the grip the executive branch has on the judicial system, especially the public prosecutors' offices."

On Monday, the Communist Party parliamentary group issued a statement regarding the nomination of Le Mesle which said, "At a time when the necessity of a thorough reform of our justice system is being invoked, this decision confirms the will of the government to block all progress toward a judiciary more independent of those in power."

Chirac has been implicated in a spectacular affair dating from the early 1990s in which public construction contracts were allegedly granted in exchange for payments to a political slush fund belonging to his former party, the RPR.

However, he refused to testify in the investigation into this affair, citing the constitutional immunity from criminal prosecution of a sitting president.

Chirac has said he would announce in early 2007 whether he will stand for re-election.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur