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The former Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, appears from today before the correctional court in Paris in the case that links her to the former head of Renault-Nissan, Carlos Ghosn. (translated)

Rachida Dati, former minister and Member of the European Parliament, will be tried starting September 16, 2026, before the Paris criminal court for corruption and influence peddling, related to the 900,000 euros in fees paid by Renault-Nissan, while former CEO Carlos Ghosn, also referred to justice, is requesting a postponement of the hearing since his escape to Lebanon. (translated)

Six questions sur le procès pour corruption de Rachida Dati et Carlos Ghosn, ex-PDG de Renault

The trial of around forty defendants, suspected of being part of a criminal organization responsible for drug trafficking estimated at over six million euros in the Matonge district of Ixelles, opens at the Brussels criminal court. (translated)

"Le procès du royaume de la débrouille": Une quarantaine de prévenus poursuivis pour le hotspot Matonge

🇫🇷 FLASH - Des étudiants en médecine auraient reçu à l’AVANCE des sujets du concours national de l’internat, ainsi que des grilles de correction. (documents et témoignages consultés par AlertesInfos) #Médecine #Concours #Internat

Finneko 5d

🚨 Il s’est passé quelque chose d’assez sérieux hier sur les marchés obligataires... Le 10 ans américain s’est rapproché dangereusement des 5%, le 30 ans a dépassé 5,3% (plus haut depuis juin 2027), le 10 ans français tourne autour de 4,3% et le 30 ans français retrouve des niveaux qu’on n’avait plus vus depuis 2003. Ce n’est pas simplement parce que l’inflation est un peu trop élevée. 📈 À mes yeux, on est en train de voir plusieurs problèmes se télescoper alors que les marchés arrivaient encore à les traiter séparément. Je parle de la guerre en Iran, du pétrole au-dessus de 100$, de l'avancée des Houthis au Yémen, des banques centrales contraintes de redevenir plus agressives, des déficits publics gigantesques et de la quantité ahurissante de capital à financer partout dans le monde. La sainte loi des taux d'intérêt est intraitable car quand tout cela arrive en même temps, le prix d’équilibre de l’argent finit par monter. 🇾🇪 Le vrai game changer géopolitique d’hier, et je pense qu’il faut vraiment insister dessus, c’est Mocha au Yémen. Les Houthis soutenus par l’Iran ont pris cette ville portuaire stratégique puis avancé jusqu’aux îles Hanish, en direction de Bab el-Mandeb. Pour ceux qui ne visualisent pas le problème, Bab el-Mandeb est la porte sud de la mer Rouge et tout ce qui veut rejoindre Suez depuis l’océan Indien doit pratiquement passer par là. On parle d'environ 7% de la production mondiale de pétrole qui transite par cette zone. Après Ormuz, les Iraniens sont aujourd'hui capables de menacer Bab el-Mandeb et ont déclaré un blocus maritime contre les navires saoudiens. 🤔 Du coup, qui peut remplacer ces barils ? Si on parle d'un producteur qui dispose d’une taille suffisante, d’une industrie capable de réagir et d’un pétrole accessible hors Moyen-Orient, il ne reste que les États-Unis mais là encore, il faut rester prudent. Le pétrole de schiste américain n’est plus celui de 2014 puisque les meilleurs gisements vieillissent, les coûts ont augmenté, les actionnaires demandent avant tout du cash-flow et les grands producteurs ont des budgets annuels qu’ils ne vont pas bouleverser parce que le baril passe les 100$. Pour info, les producteurs expliquaient déjà au printemps qu’ils n’étaient pas prêts à lancer une nouvelle vague massive de forage avec un baril à 100$ sauf s'ils avaient la conviction que ce niveau allait durer plusieurs trimestres. 🤷‍♂️ Bref tout ça pour dire que le marché obligataire prend une balle, d’autant que les données américaines n’ont absolument rien fait pour calmer le jeu. Les prix à la production publiées hier sont ressortis à +0,4% sur le mois et +5,4% sur un an, avec +1,1% sur les biens. Aujourd’hui arrive l'inflation CPI américaine qui devient presque un juge de paix. Un CPI plus faible pourrait provoquer un beau rally tactique sur les taux longs tellement le mouvement est devenu violent mais ça ne changera pas le fond du problème. Tant que le pétrole reste au-dessus de 100$ et que les routes énergétiques restent sous tension, le risque de transmission de l'inflation dans l'économie reste présent. 🤦‍♂️ Autre chose, comme vous le savez, Scott "The House" Bessent essaie d’améliorer la plomberie du marché obligataire via des rachats de dette longue. Le Trésor a triplé la taille maximale de son opération de buyback sur certaines maturités longues en passant de 2 à 6 milliards de dollars. C'est ridicule et pour vous dire j'espérais au moins 12 milliards. La sanction est sans appel et les taux longs ont continué de monter après l’annonce. Oh, et je ne parle meme pas des 5000$ de dividendes de Trump parce qu'on pourrait croire qu'on est à South Park. 🇪🇺 En Europe, on a eu droit à une couche supplémentaire. La BCE a remonté hier son taux directeur à 2,50%, sa deuxième hausse de l’année, parce qu’elle commence à craindre que le choc énergétique se diffuse au reste de l’économie, et à raison. Lagarde a parlé d'une inflation qui devrait rester au-dessus de la cible pendant une période prolongée, et à raison encore. Le 10 ans allemand a retrouvé son plus haut depuis 2011 et le 30 ans français revient aux niveaux de 2003. ⚠️ Je vois beaucoup de gens paniquer mais pour l'instant, je ne pense pas qu’on soit encore dans une crise obligataire au sens où personne ne voudrait acheter de dette américaine ou française. Les adjudications trouvent encore et toujours de la demande mais le marché ne veut juste plus le faire à n'importe quel prix. Par contre, si le 10 ans américain commence à s’installer durablement au-dessus de 5% avec un Brent à trois chiffres, il va vraiment falloir revoir la façon dont on valorise énormément de choses comme l'immobilier, le private equity, la dette d'entreprise, la tech, les budgets publics et même la capacité des banques centrales à faire leur travail. Mocha au Yemen a été l’étincelle parfaite dans un marché obligataire déjà rempli d’essence par les déficits, les émissions de dette, l’inflation et le retour des banques centrales hawkish. Par contre, ce qui me fait tiquer c'est que les taux montent alors même que les risques sur la croissance augmentent. Tant que ce sera le cas, je prendrai le mouvement beaucoup plus sérieusement qu’une simple correction obligataire. #Marchés #Obligations #Économie

Le niveau de vie des retraités n’a pas seulement doublé depuis: il a probablement quadruplé ou quintuplé. Quasiment la moitié des plus de 65 ans étaient au minimum vieillesse en 1960. C’était moins de 250 euros après correction de l’inflation. #Retraités #NiveauDeVie #Economie

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The criminal court of Paris is judging three men for an ultra-violent home-jacking of the former PSG goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, committed in July 2023, where the victims suffered serious violence and damage estimated at nearly one million euros. (translated)

Coups, menaces et fausse-couche… « Ganito » et « Kiki » jugés pour le home-jacking ultra-violent de Donnarumma

J’accuse Jean-Luc Melenchon de violation du secret de l’instruction et pire de corruption avec des magistrats de la 17eme chambre correctionnelle de Paris. @JLMelenchon savait avant le délibéré que M. @Enthoven_R allait être relaxé alors qu’il déclarait que LFI était passionnément antisémite. L’obtention de cette information est un délit pénal qui lui permettra ensuite de se désister et de retirer sa plainte contre moi alors que j’affirmerai également qu’il était antisémite. Je dépose plainte contre M. Melenchon pour dénonciation calomnieuse, et sollicite l’ouverture d’une enquête pour ces 2 délits. M. Melenchon a déjà été condamné pour des violences sur un magistrat et un policier. #Justice #Politique #Corruption

Six young people, including a soldier, are appearing before the correctional court in Brussels for conspiracy, possession of weapons, and theft, following the discovery of an arsenal in a car in Evere, as they are suspected of planning a violent act. (translated)

Des armes retrouvées dans une voiture à Evere : six jeunes, dont un militaire, sur le banc des prévenus

Aujourd'hui, j'ai été relaxé par le Tribunal correctionnel de Paris dans la procédure engagée par @alliancepolice qui me poursuivait pour des propos tenus en 2024 sur Sud Radio. https://t.co/XwwS6iJo1t #Justice #Tribunal #Paris

BFMTV 1w

The trial of fourteen people suspected of being smugglers, involved in the tragic shipwreck of 31 migrants off the coast of Calais in November 2021, opened on Tuesday, September 8, 2023, before the correctional court of Paris. (translated)

Traversée de la Manche: 14 personnes suspectées d'être des passeurs jugées après la mort de 31 personnes au large de Calais en 2021

🔴 Charles devrait prendre le départ du Grand Prix de Madrid comme prévu, et son état physique ne suscite aucune inquiétude. Les principales préoccupations concernent plutôt le groupe motopropulseur ADUO 2 installé sur son SF-26 à Monza. Le moteur aurait subi des dommages importants lors de l'accident, et la situation est d'autant plus compliquée que le moteur est resté allumé longtemps après l'impact, un facteur qui n'a certainement pas contribué à préserver son intégrité. Tous les contrôles nécessaires sont en cours à Maranello. Une décision finale est attendue mardi soir, et tous les éléments devraient être transmis mercredi matin. Ferrari devra alors décider si elle conserve le moteur ou si elle procède à son remplacement. L'éventualité évoquée entraînerait l'installation d'un nouveau moteur dans la voiture, qui devrait néanmoins rester conforme aux spécifications ADUO 2. Une pénalité sur la grille de départ à Madrid pour la voiture rouge numéro 16 demeure donc très probable. Madrid ne sera cependant pas une course totalement dépourvue d'innovations techniques pour la SF-26. Nous pouvons confirmer que Ferrari apportera une petite modification au triangle de suspension arrière, principalement liée à une correction aérodynamique. La modification devrait être assez mineure et concerner le cache du triangle arrière. Ferrari prépare un package plus conséquent pour Austin, avec l'intention d'améliorer la SF-26 afin de décrocher au moins la deuxième place au championnat des constructeurs face à une McLaren qui a montré un grand potentiel depuis la Hongrie ! #F1 #Formule1 #Ferrari #GrandPrix

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Le Soir 1w

Fiat Chrysler, now part of the Stellantis group, is summoned before the criminal court of Paris for aggravated deception related to the Dieselgate scandal, being accused of marketing vehicles with nitrogen oxide pollution levels exceeding regulatory thresholds. (translated)

Tricherie antipollution - Fiat Chrysler renvoyé devant le tribunal correctionnel de Paris pour tromperie aggravée

Freeman of the City of London: An Ordinary Honour for All, an Honorary One for Few SOURCE: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/freeman-city-london-ordinary-honour-all-honorary-one-sardella-ph-d--m1alf/ Abstract The Freedom of the City of London is an institution of mediaeval origin, attested as far back as 1237, originally conceived to afford freeborn citizens protection from feudal obligations, the right to trade, and the ownership of property within the bounds of the Square Mile — the territory of the City of London proper. Having evolved progressively from a concrete economic privilege into a civic and symbolic distinction, it has preserved its relevance over the centuries through successive legislative reforms — most notably the extension of eligibility to all nationalities in 1996 — and today records approximately 1,800 to 2,000 new admissions annually. The present article examines the historical and juridical evolution of the title, sets out the several routes of access provided by current regulation (by servitude through apprenticeship, by patrimony, by redemption through direct nomination, by presentation through the Livery Companies, and by registration on the electoral roll), and analyses the contemporary profile of the Freemen in the light of recent admissions of prominent figures from the worlds of finance, culture, sport, and public life. Contrary to the elitist image surrounding many British honours, the ordinary Freedom proves accessible to any person whatsoever, regardless of nationality or financial standing, upon the satisfaction of minimal requirements and the payment of an administrative fee of £180–185. The article concludes by reflecting upon the contemporary significance of the institution: not in the residual privileges, now largely ceremonial, but in its identity-forming, civic-participatory function and its connection to the long history of the oldest and most venerable city in Europe. Keywords: Freedom of the City of London; Livery Companies; City of London Corporation; British honours; urban civic identity. Contenuto dell’articolo Introduction Amongst the historic honours of Britain, few institutions evoke an imaginative world as rich as the Freedom of the City of London. Cited in films, novels, and articles on manners and custom with tones of exclusivity and mystery, it is frequently associated with figures of the very highest standing: sovereigns, heads of state, military commanders returning from the wars. Yet, upon closer and more methodical scrutiny, a markedly different picture emerges: that of a title which, in its ordinary and non-honorary dimension, is today accessible to a considerable number of persons each year, without the requirement of extraordinary merit or elevated financial means. The present contribution aims to examine the institution in its twofold aspect, historical and contemporary, with the object of dispelling the most prevalent misconception: that which confounds the ordinary Freedom with the Honorary Freedom — the latter genuinely rare and reserved for figures of international standing. This article traces the mediaeval origins and legislative evolution (§ 2), sets out the current routes of access (§ 3), discusses requirements, costs, and procedure (§ 4), analyses the contemporary composition of the body of Freemen (§ 5), examines rights, privileges, and obligations (§ 6), reviews the most distinguished recipients of recent decades (§ 7), and concludes with some reflections upon the contemporary significance of the institution (§ 8). Origins and Historical Development of the Institution The Freedom of the City of London is attested from 1237, during the reign of Henry III, as a form of civic status designating individuals not subject to a feudal lord, and therefore entitled to the protections guaranteed by the City's charters. In this original sense, the term freeman denoted the free man in the fullest sense of the word: one who might trade freely within the perimeter of the Square Mile, hold property, and join the trade guilds without external interference. The practical privileges were of concrete scope and directly functional to the mediaeval economy: exemption from certain tolls, including the celebrated right to drive flocks of sheep across London Bridge without payment — a concession rooted in the wool trade that dominated the English economy — protection against arbitrary arrest beyond the jurisdiction of the City, and access to the markets regulated by the guilds. As confirmed by the subsequent reissues of Magna Carta by Henry III in 1225, such liberties were intrinsically bound to the self-governance of the City, which defended them against royal and baronial interference. The progressive codification of the institution took place through royal ordinances from the fourteenth century onwards. In 1319, Edward II issued constitutions restricting access to the Freedom to members of the trade guilds, prohibiting the admission of unaffiliated outsiders, and thereby formalising servitude through apprenticeship as the principal route for new entrants, whilst the patrimonial route ensured continuity for established families. Subsequent monarchs, from Edward III onwards, repeatedly confirmed the civic liberties through charters granted often in exchange for financial loans, consolidating the City's autonomy and its role as creditor to the Crown. In the nineteenth century, with industrialisation and the demographic expansion of London, corporate control over trade proved increasingly unenforceable. The Municipal Corporations Act of 1835 extended eligibility to any person living, working in, or having a significant connection with London, partially detaching the title from corporate membership and progressively transforming it into an honorary distinction of a civic character. During the twentieth century, further reforms rendered access more inclusive. Women, already admitted informally as widows by inheritance in earlier periods but formally excluded from the standard routes, saw their right to ordinary admission recognised — Angela Burdett-Coutts having already received the Honorary Freedom in 1872, and Florence Nightingale in 1908 — while formal equality was consolidated in the twentieth century. Finally, in 1996, the requirement of British or Commonwealth citizenship was abolished, opening the title to any nationality whatsoever. Routes of Access: The Current Regulatory Framework The current regulations, administered by the Court of the Lord Chamberlain of the City of London Corporation, provide for five principal modes of access to the Freedom of the City of London, each reflecting different historical ties between the individual and the City's institutions. By servitude confers the title upon the completion of a formal apprenticeship under the Custom of London, traditionally of seven years' duration, under a master freeman of a Livery Company. This route, the oldest and of the greatest historical significance, verifies merit through practical competence and loyalty to the guild. Completing apprentices are admitted without the need for approval by the Court of Common Council, provided they have been registered on the City's electoral roll for at least one year, and in such cases no financial contribution is required. By patrimony confers automatic eligibility upon the children of Freemen, provided the parent held the title at the time of the candidate's birth and appropriate documentation is furnished. Historically restricted to sons, it was extended to daughters by the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835. The candidate must have attained the age of eighteen, must not be an undischarged bankrupt, and must not have relevant unspent criminal convictions. By redemption constitutes the route open to any person whatsoever. The candidate submits an application to the Court of the Lord Chamberlain, supported by two sponsors — Common Councillors, Aldermen, or Liverymen of at least one year's standing who attest to their reputation — and the matter is examined by the Freedom Applications Sub-Committee and approved by the Court of Common Council. The administrative fee (the Freedom Fine) amounts to £180 following the tariff revision of 1 April 2024 (£185 in the case of direct nomination). For candidates registered on the Ward List, the City's electoral roll, the procedure is free of charge. By presentation through a Livery Company is the route most frequently taken in contemporary practice. The candidate first becomes a member of their relevant guild, following a procedure that varies amongst each of the 113 Livery Companies currently active, and subsequently submits an online application to the Court of the Lord Chamberlain for admission to the Freedom of the City, with approval in the vast majority of cases being a matter of routine. Requirements, Costs, and Procedure The requirements for access to the ordinary Freedom are of a simplicity that may well surprise, given the aura of exclusivity surrounding the title. The candidate must have attained the age of eighteen, must not be an undischarged bankrupt, and must not have unspent criminal convictions within the meaning of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act of 1974. No requirement of nationality, residence, educational attainment, or financial standing is imposed. The documentation required is of a standard biographical character: a full birth certificate, a marriage certificate or name-change document where applicable, and, where admission is by presentation, the certificate of membership issued by the relevant Livery Company. The application is submitted online through the City of London Corporation's portal. The admission ceremony is held at the Guildhall in London, in the Court Room of the Lord Chamberlain, on every working day between 10.30 and 12.00, and between 14.00 and 15.30. The newly admitted Freeman is invited to read aloud the Declaration of a Freeman and to sign the Admissions' Book, receiving upon its conclusion a calligraphed certificate on vellum and a copy of the Rules for the Conduct of Life — the eighteenth-century document of moral guidance that enjoins the holder to lead a life of rectitude, compassion, and social engagement. For those unable to attend in person, the City Corporation has retained the option of conducting the ceremony virtually, a facility introduced during the pandemic and subsequently preserved. The Contemporary Composition of the Body of Freemen One significant empirical datum serves to diminish the elitist dimension of the title: between 1,800 and 2,000 new persons are admitted each year, within a body that counts over 300,000 documented admissions across the centuries. As the City of London Corporation itself observes, contemporary Freemen comprise 'a broad cross-section of the population', encompassing professionals, students, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, military personnel, and foreign nationals. The growing contribution of university students, frequently presented in groups by their academic institutions, and of international professionals, has further broadened the demographic base. The group ceremony of 2024, in which 40 individuals drawn from fields ranging from science and medicine to entrepreneurship and diversity initiatives received the title simultaneously, is illustrative of this openness. A fundamental distinction must, however, be emphasised. The Honorary Freedom of the City of London constitutes an entirely separate institution of radically different scope. Granted by the Court of Common Council by special resolution, it is reserved for figures of exceptional international stature — typically fewer than a dozen conferred annually — and represents, in the words of the City Corporation itself, the highest honour it is able to bestow. It is this Freedom that has been enjoyed by Winston Churchill, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and, more recently, the television presenter Rachel Riley (October 2025), in recognition of her commitment to Holocaust education and the combating of antisemitism. The confusion between the two forms is the principal source of the distorted public perception of the institution. The Contemporary Significance: Between Identity and Participation While the great majority of the practical privileges once associated with the condition of Freeman have today disappeared or been reduced to solemn ceremonial form, what persists is the powerful symbolic and identity-forming value of the title. The ceremony retains elements of ritual solemnity — the reading of the Declaration, the signing of the historic Admission Register, the receipt of the calligraphed certificate on vellum — which inscribe the new Freeman within a chain of continuity of nearly eight centuries, linking diverse figures through a shared bond with the history of the Square Mile. This venerable London institution also performs a cohesive function within the ecosystem of the City and the Livery Companies. The 113 active guilds collectively disbursed over £81 million in charitable activities in 2024, through programmes of vocational training, scholarships, and technical apprenticeships that preserve specialist skills in economically significant sectors. Being a Freeman constitutes a formal prerequisite for advancement to Liveryman, and therefore for the exercise of voting rights in the governance of the City: a vestige of corporate democracy which, however distant from the models of universal suffrage, retains its own institutional logic within the unique legal architecture of the London Square Mile. Critics of a progressive persuasion have observed that the system favours established networks and access by hereditary or professional routes, potentially excluding broader strata of the London population, with the pool of living Freemen well below one per cent of the nine million residents of Greater London. Nevertheless, the data on recent admissions — encompassing recognition spanning African entrepreneurship, community sport, broadcasting, and medicine — suggest a trajectory of progressive opening which, whilst falling short of full demographic representativeness, attests to the institutional will to maintain the institution as a living tradition rather than an exclusive relic. Conclusions The foregoing analysis permits the formulation of several concluding observations. The Freedom of the City — the ordinary Freedom — is today an honour accessible to a far wider audience than the collective imagination suggests. The admission requirements are minimal, the costs modest, the procedures relatively streamlined and open to any nationality. The persistent confusion with the Honorary Freedom, reserved for figures of exceptional international eminence, is the principal source of a distorted perception that merits correction. The contemporary value of the title resides not in the residual privileges, now largely solemn and ceremonial, but in three complementary dimensions: the identity-forming, which connects the holder to nearly eight centuries of institutional history; the civic-participatory, which through access to the Livery Companies and the City's electoral system inserts the Freeman into genuinely operative networks; and the communitarian, which through the mechanisms of honorary recognition celebrates contributions of an ever more varied scope and provenance. In this respect, the Freedom represents an instructive case study in how historic institutions may reinvent themselves without losing authenticity, preserving their significance through inclusion rather than exclusion. References and Sources: City of London Corporation. (2024). Freedom of the City of London. https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-us/law-historic-governance/freedom-of-the-city Guild of Freemen of the City of London. (2025). Freedom of the City. https://www.guild-freemen-london.co.uk/freedom-of-the-city Livery Committee. (2025). Freedom of the City. https://liverycommittee.org/about/membership-freedom-and-livery-clothing/freedom-of-the-city/ Municipal Corporations Act 1835. UK Parliament. Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. UK Parliament. Grokipedia. (2025). Freedom of the City of London. https://grokipedia.com/page/Freedom_of_the_City_of_London City Solicitors' Educational Trust. (2025). Applying for the Freedom of the City of London. LondradaVivere.com. (2025). La 'Freedom of the City of London': un'antica libertà ancora viva. City of London Corporation. (2023). Livery Companies: Charitable Activities Report 2024. ONS / City of London Corporation. (2023). Financial Services Contribution to UK GDP.

Freeman of the City of London: An Ordinary Honour for All, an Honorary One for Few
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Le Soir 2w

Belfius is facing criminal charges for failing to meet its repayment obligations to a phishing victim, risking a fine following a complaint filed with the Brussels criminal court. (translated)

Belfius poursuivie au pénal pour n’avoir pas indemnisé une victime de phishing
L'Obs 2w

Rachida Dati obtained her assignment as the first deputy at the central administration of the Ministry of Justice, just a few days before her trial for corruption. (translated)

Info « Nouvel Obs » : Rachida Dati va redevenir officiellement magistrate

Semlex referred to the correctional court in Brussels for the Congolese passport case. It's historic! (translated)

Philippe Juvin, a member of parliament from the LR party and the general rapporteur for the budget, expresses serious concerns about France's budgetary situation, describing it as unsustainable with risks of an imminent financial crisis if corrective measures are not implemented. (translated)

"La situation n'est pas soutenable", déplore Philippe Juvin, député LR et rapporteur général du budget

[CORRECTION] Selon un échange Télégram, sur le canal officiel du groupe de hackeurs 808mafia, ces derniers affirment détenir une build d'une ancienne version de GTA 6 sur Xbox. Le groupe propose un échange avec Cyberleek, qui disposerait de son côté d'une build de la version PC. #GTA6 #Hacking #GamingNews

L'Obs 4w

The correctional court of Paris acquitted a mother prosecuted for not presenting her son to his father accused of incest, deeming her behavior justified by a "state of necessity," although this decision remains an exception that underscores the need for legislative evolution in this area. (translated)

Relaxe d’une « mère protectrice » : « Cette décision est une victoire, mais elle demeure l’exception »