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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters 03 Jul 2010 North Korea shrugs off ship and calls for nuclear talks 6:02am EDT Russia-U.S. spy swap participants phone families | Video 12:59pm EDT J&J says latest drug recalls involved 3 mln bottles 09 Jul 2010 German fans want revenge grilling of oracle octopus 08 Jul 2010 U.S. judge slashes penalty in music download case 09 Jul 2010 China shrugs off global fears with export strength 4:46am EDT Economists see U.S. recovery weakening: survey 8:57am EDT BP starts work to install new seabed cap 4:25pm EDT Wells Fargo cuts free checking ahead of new rules 09 Jul 2010 Tired Gay succumbs to Dix in 200 meters 03 Jul 2010 German fans want revenge grilling of oracle octopus 08 Jul 2010 Cat burglar takes shine to washing-line underwear 08 Jul 2010 China shrugs off global fears with export strength 4:46am EDT J&J says latest drug recalls involved 3 mln bottles 09 Jul 2010 BP starts work to install new seabed cap 4:25pm EDT Economists see U.S. recovery weakening: survey 8:57am EDT Toyota moves ahead with Tesla, open to new tie-ups 09 Jul 2010 Popular food additive can cause stomach ache 08 Jul 2010 Study finds bank bailouts profitable for U.S. 07 Jul 2010 French sleaze case puts spotlight on legal system Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News Analysis: Scandal shows risks of Sarkozy's micro-management Fri, Jul 9 2010 Bettencourt probes add to pressure on French government Fri, Jul 9 2010 UPDATE 2-Bettencourt probes add to pressure on French govt Fri, Jul 9 2010 Online news site leads charge in French scandal Fri, Jul 9 2010 Bookkeeper softens some French scandal charges Thu, Jul 8 2010 Related Topics World » France » By Sophie Taylor PARIS | Sat Jul 10, 2010 2:51pm EDT PARIS (Reuters) - The uproar over a political funding scandal has once again cast the spotlight on France's justice system, which critics say risks losing its independence under reforms planned by President Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy's overhaul would lead to the scrapping of independent examining magistrates, or "juges d'instruction," a French peculiarity that dates back to Napoleonic times. The government has in recent years been appointing more and more public prosecutors to big cases instead of independent magistrates, who used to handle most investigations of major significance, and in theory have wider powers. The magistrates themselves argue that, because the prosecutors answer to the Justice Ministry, the system could be exposed to political influence. The role of Philippe Courroye, the prosecutor leading an investigation into whether L'Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt and her late husband made illegal donations to Sarkozy's election campaign, is a case in point. Courroye earned a reputation as a fighter for judicial independence in the 1990s after securing the conviction of two right-wing mayors for corruption. He also led an investigation into arms sales to Angola that ended in the conviction of the eldest son of late Socialist president Francois Mitterrand, Jean-Christophe. But Courroye's decisions since his appointment to his current post have sparked concern, and two magistrates' unions this week publicly demanded that he step down. The unions are asking for Courroye to be replaced by an independent examining magistrate in the Bettencourt case, in which a butler made secret recordings of conversations between the heiress and her financial and legal advisers. The recordings suggest that Courroye, a friend of Sarkozy's, informed the president's office weeks in advance of a decision he planned to take on the investigation. Sarkozy has vehemently denied that his party received any illegal funding as alleged. LEAKS AND WHISPERS French investigations are also often heavily leaked. Evidence documents, minutes of police questioning and secret tape recordings can surface with astonishing speed, and with no penalty from court or libel restraints. Sarkozy has said that a reform of the legal system is needed to avoid a repeat of the Outreau scandal in 2000, in which over a dozen people were wrongfully imprisoned after a flawed investigation by a young and inexperienced magistrate. The case was widely viewed as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in France since the end of World War Two. But lawyers, judges and court officials have taken to the streets in their thousands to protest against the reform. They argue that the Outreau case provides convenient cover for the government to get rid of magistrates who have a history of uncovering embarrassing cases of political corruption. Examining magistrates were also behind a series of sensitive examinations that dogged Mitterrand and his right-wing successor, Jacques Chirac, for years. Independent magistrates were also behind criminal cases against major French firms and their senior executives, including a huge 1990s scandal centered on the state-owned oil company Elf and its dealings in Africa. (Reporting by Sophie Taylor; Editing by Kevin Liffey) World France Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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