Conseil supérieur de la magistrature

M. Christian COQUOZ
President

The Conseil supérieur de la magistrature:

• Ensures administrative supervision and control of the judicial magistrates’ activity.
• Investigates complaints concerning judicial magistrates in office.
• Pronounces disciplinary sanctions or measures against magistrates (removal from office, injunction to complete their professional training, etc.).
• Decides on requests from magistrates for changing their rate of activity.
• Decides on requests for the lifting of the secrecy of office to which magistrates of the Judiciary Power and persons appointed by a judicial authority are subject, to carry out a task provided for by law.
• Makes recommendations about candidacies for judicial elections.

The Conseil supérieur de la magistrature is composed of 2 ex officio members, the President of the Cour de justice, who presides over it, the Attorney General, 4 members elected by their peers, i.e. 2 permanent magistrates of the Judiciary Power and 2 lawyers at the Bar, as well as 3 members appointed by the State Council, who may be neither magistrates nor lawyers. With the exception of the President of the Cour de justice and the Attorney General, the members of the council are appointed for 3 years. They may be re-elected once.

In the event the permanent members are absent, a permanent magistrate, a lawyer at the Bar and a member appointed by the State Council, shall replace them.

The Cour d'appel du Pouvoir judiciaire is the authority responsible for ruling on appeals against the council’s decisions.