Conseil supérieur de la magistrature

M. Christian COQUOZ
President

The Conseil supérieur de la magistrature:

• Ensures the proper functioning of the jurisdictions by supervising magistrates.
• Ensures that magistrates perform their duties with dignity, rigor, assiduity, diligence  and humanity.
• Makes sure magistrates are fit for the job and have the right personal and professional skills.
• Examines reports concerning the professional activity of magistrates.
• May take measures (in-service training, support and guidance measures, corrective measures, removal from office, etc.) and impose disciplinary sanctions (warnings, reprimands, fines, dismissal) when necessary.
• Makes decisions on requests by magistrates to modify their activity rate.
• 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 to carry out a task provided for by law are subject. (e.g. experts, translators, interpreters, probation officers, bankruptcy trustees).
• Contributes to the continuous improvement of the functioning of the Judiciary Power through its proposals and follow-up.

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.