"impartiality"

#13035683

28 November 2025

Lawyers for the plaintiffs discuss before the hearings. A rare hearing takes place in the Administrative Court of Appeal of Toulouse, France, on November 28, 2025. Plaintiffs against the A69 are joined by the SAF (Union of French Lawyers) to request the recusal of two judges of the panel who participated in a ruling that reauthorized the continuation of works on the planned A69 highway. Plaintiffs have already asked these judges to recuse themselves, and they refused. Plaintiffs go to the Administrative Court of Appeal, stating that these judges must be recused to protect the confidence of French citizens in the administrative courts and the entire judicial system. Lawyers also plead for the impartiality of the justice system. More than a dozen lawyers are present, as this is a very rare case in the French justice system. According to custom, if a judge has already judged a case, they recuse themselves if the same case goes to court again. The main association, 'La Voie est Libre' (i.e., 'The Way is Free'), wants the construction of the highway to be stopped until all judicial decisions on the content are given. Opponents of this project say that the reprofiling of the N126 will be sufficient for the 6,000 vehicles planned per day and would cost far less money. The A69 highway will cost EUR512 million (in 2018 euros without inflation) for 54 kilometers.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#13035684

28 November 2025

A rare hearing takes place in the Administrative Court of Appeal of Toulouse, France, on November 28, 2025, where plaintiffs against the A69 are joined by the SAF (Union of French Lawyers) to request the recusal of two judges from the panel who participated in a ruling that reauthorized the continuation of work on the planned A69 highway. Plaintiffs have already asked these judges to recuse themselves, but they refused. Plaintiffs approach the Administrative Court of Appeal, stating that these judges must be recused to protect the confidence of French citizens in the administrative courts and the entire judicial system. Lawyers also argue for the impartiality of justice. More than a dozen lawyers are present, as this is a very rare case in the French justice system. According to custom, if a judge has already judged a case, they recuse themselves if the same case returns to court. The main association, 'La Voie est Libre' (i.e., 'The Way is Free'), wants the construction of the highway to be stopped until all judicial decisions on the content are made. Opponents of the project say that the reprofiling of the N126 will suffice for the 6,000 vehicles planned per day and would cost far less money. The A69 highway will cost EUR512 million (in 2018 euros without inflation) for 54 kilometers.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.

#13035685

28 November 2025

Someone holds a placard reading 'Recusation of the judges for a fair Justice' in front of the Administrative Court of Appeal of Toulouse. A rare hearing takes place in the Administrative Court of Appeal of Toulouse, France, on November 28, 2025. Plaintiffs against the A69 are joined by the SAF (Union of French Lawyers) to request the recusation of two judges from the panel who participated in a ruling that reauthorized the continuation of works on the planned A69 highway. Plaintiffs have already asked these judges to recuse themselves, but they refused. Plaintiffs go to the Administrative Court of Appeal, stating that these judges must be recused to protect the confidence of French citizens in the administrative courts and the entire judicial system. Lawyers also plead for the impartiality of the justice system. More than a dozen lawyers are present, as this is a very rare case in the French justice system. According to custom, if a judge has already judged a case, they recuse themselves if the same case returns to court. The main association 'La Voie est Libre' (i.e., 'The Way is Free') wants the construction of the highway to be stopped until all judicial decisions on the content are made. Opponents of this project say that the reprofiling of the N126 will be sufficient for the 6,000 vehicles planned per day and would cost far less money. The A69 highway will cost EUR512 million (in 2018 euros without inflation) for 54 kilometers.

Restricted to Editorial Use Only.
Commercial use is not permitted without prior authorization.
Please contact us for more information.