FRANCE: New law against “cultic abuses” to be checked by the Constitutional Council
The European Times (29.04.2024) – On 15 April, over sixty members of the National Assembly and over sixty senators referred the newly adopted law “to reinforce the fight against cultic abuses” to the Constitutional Council for an a priori control of constitutionality pursuant to Article 61-2 of the Constitution.
The law creates new articles in the penal code in order to criminalize the act of “psychological subjugation” and the promotion of therapeutic or preventative unconventional practices.
In support of the argumentation developed by the Members of the French Parliament in their referral, an External Contribution was filed by Patricia Duval, Attorney at the Paris Bar, at the Council on Friday 26 April.
The said Contribution addresses the following controversial issues:
- On Article 3 which creates the specific offence of putting a person under a state of psychological or physical subjugation (former Article 2)
- On Article 12 which creates the offence of incitement to refuse treatment or to adhere to non-conventional practices (former Article 4)