Minister of Justice calls for radical reform: New criminal code in sight!

Minister of Justice calls for radical reform: New criminal code in sight!

On Monday, June 30, 2025, Gérald Darmanin, the minister of the judiciary, announced to RTL that France is planning fundamental changes in the Criminal Code in the coming months. This is done as part of a comprehensive project to revise the existing rules and to tighten the criminal proceedings. According to RTL, the new regulations will be debated in parliament from September.

Darmanin explained that a central goal of the reforms was the abolition of the punishment, also known as *Sursis *. This would mean that if convicted of up to one month in prison, the prison sentence must actually be served. In addition, the obligatory punishment for convictions of less than a year in prison should be abolished. These measures aim to reduce the current number of 235 different punishments and to compare the comparison to Germany where there are only four punishments.

a new criminal scale

With the introduction of a new criminal scale, which is to be limited to 3 to 5 punishments, the minister wants to create a simpler and clearer system. This reform is not only supported by Darmanin, but also by the French Prime Minister.

The comprehensive changes are not new; They build on the legislation of March 23, 2019, which also aimed to reform the penal system in France. At the time, under the direction of Audrey Farrugia, a high -ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, the principle was established that prison terms should not be the only reference for punishments. At the same time, attempts were made to make the punishments more understandable for convicted and victims, such as [justice.gouv.fr] (https://www.justice.gouv.fr/actualite/loi-du-23-mars-2019-zoom-nouveau-droit------------------

alternative punishes and reintegration options

The new penalties are also the introduction of house arrest under electronic surveillance, which is planned for periods of 15 days to 6 months. In addition, non -profit work is to be promoted as a punishment and the conditions for such measures are to be diversified. A clear separation between prison sentence from 1 to 6 months and those over a year should enable the judges to respond more flexibly to the circumstances of individual cases and to improve the reintegration chances of the convict.

An important aspect of the reform is also the abolition of the *contrainte Pénale *, which has not brought the desired success since its introduction in 2014. Instead, the judges will receive more scope to take measures that promote the social support of convicts. The aim is to reduce the relapse rate by increasing the possibilities of re -socialization.

Overall, it can be said that France is facing a clear change of course in criminal law, which could not only influence the judiciary, but also society as a whole. It remains to be seen whether this change succeeds and actually has a positive change.

The reform strategically tackles is crucial, especially with regard to the challenges in front of which France is facing. The measures announced by Darmanin promise both a clarification of the judicial system and improved conditions for the re -socialization of criminals. A brave step that could revive the discussion about the role of punishment and rehabilitation in modern society.