Rachida Dati obtains judiciary post ahead of Paris corruption trial over Renault dealings

Reintegration into the judiciary

Former French Minister of Justice Rachida Dati has requested and obtained a return to the judiciary as a magistrate. The 60-year-old politician, who currently serves as mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris, has been designated for a post as first deputy in the central administration of justice at the Ministry of Justice. The ministry stated that Dati requested her reinstatement in line with her legal rights as a former magistrate. The appointment must proceed through the standard judicial transparency procedure, awaiting a formal opinion from the High Council of the Judiciary (CSM). The justice minister will follow the council's evaluation, which is expected within two weeks to a month after the examination of potential appeals from other applicants. Dati stepped away from the magistracy 23 years ago to pursue elective mandates.

Upcoming corruption trial in Paris

The administrative appointment arrives shortly before Dati appears in court as a defendant. She is scheduled to stand trial before the Paris Criminal Court from 16 September to 28 September 2026 on charges of passive corruption and passive influence peddling. Investigators allege that Dati received 900,000 euros between 2009 and 2013 under a flat-fee legal consultancy agreement signed on 28 October 2009 with RNBV, a subsidiary of the Renault-Nissan alliance. The inquiry claims the funds compensated illegal lobbying inside the European Parliament, where Dati served as an elected deputy between 2009 and 2019, on behalf of Renault and its then-chief executive Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn, who is currently living in Lebanon, has also been ordered to stand trial.

Defense arguments and potential penalties

Dati maintains that she performed legitimate legal advisory work under the contract and committed no offenses. If convicted at the Paris Criminal Court, she faces statutory penalties of up to ten years in prison and a five-year ban from running for public office. The legal proceedings follow several political shifts for Dati over the past year. She left her position as Minister of Culture in February to launch her candidacy for the mayoralty of Paris, a race she lost in March. She has sought to re-enter her original judicial corps since leaving the culture ministry.

Reaction from judicial unions

The decision to propose her for a central justice post prompted pushback from judicial organizations. Ludovic Friat, the president of the Union Syndicale des Magistrats (USM), which is the primary union representing French magistrates, questioned the timing of the reinstatement.

The judicial institution is heavily criticized by political leaders, particularly regarding ethics and magistrates' accountability, but also regarding the need to preserve the institution's image, yet this reintegration project, a few days before a high-profile criminal trial involving the person concerned, sends a contradictory message.

The High Council of the Judiciary is scheduled to review the assignment and examine candidate files before the post is formally confirmed.