Justice Minister Adel Nassar concludes official visit to France with high-level meetings on judicial cooperation

Lebanon’s Justice Minister, Adel Nassar, concluded his official visit to the French Republic following a series of high-level judicial and administrative meetings in Paris. 

The discussions focused on enhancing bilateral cooperation between Lebanon and France in the judicial field, as well as exchanging expertise in judicial organization and institutional reform.

A key moment in the visit was Minister Nassar’s meeting with his French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, at the French Ministry of Justice, where they discussed ways to support Lebanon’s reform path, particularly efforts to modernize the justice system and strengthen judicial independence.

Minister Darmanin affirmed France’s full readiness to support Lebanon through technical cooperation, knowledge exchange, and specialized training programs aimed at strengthening Lebanese judicial institutions. The two sides also discussed the possibility of a visit by the French minister to Lebanon in the near future.

Minister Nassar also held meetings with several top judicial figures, including Christophe Soulard, President of the French Court of Cassation; Rémy Heitz, Prosecutor General at the Court of Cassation; and other senior officials. 

The discussions addressed the role of judicial councils in reinforcing the independence of the judiciary and promoting transparency and professional accountability, as well as ways to strengthen direct cooperation between the French and Lebanese judiciaries.

In a meeting with Stéphane Noël, Inspector General at the French Ministry of Justice, Nassar explored judicial governance mechanisms and the development of oversight and evaluation systems within judicial and administrative institutions. 

Noël expressed his full readiness to cooperate and plans to visit Lebanon in July.

The visit concluded with a meeting between Minister Nassar and Jérémie Pellet, Director General of Expertise France, during which they discussed avenues of cooperation in technical assistance, judicial training, and institutional capacity building—particularly in relation to modernizing Lebanon’s Judicial Studies Institute.

Minister Nassar extended his deep gratitude to the French authorities, especially Ambassador Hervé Magro, for his direct supervision in organizing the meetings, which marked an important step in reaffirming France’s support for Lebanon, particularly in its efforts to uphold the rule of law and judicial independence.