Sarkozy Criminal Association conviction: William Julié on power, French justice, global reach of law

In this deeply illuminating conversation about one of the most consequential legal moments in modern French political history, François Picard welcomes William Julié, Franco-British lawyer specialised in Criminal Defense and Human Rights Law. The criminal conviction of former President Nicolas Sarkozy. At the heart of the court’s decision is the rarely invoked charge of Criminal Association, “association de malfaiteurs”, a legal mechanism allowing for conviction without direct evidence of the underlying crime, but on the basis of conspiring toward it. It is, as Mr. Julié notes, a powerful prosecutorial tool, and in this case, a reflection of how the court viewed Sarkozy’s entanglements with foreign actors, political financing, and the alleged exchange of favours at the highest levels of state.