Overview
- The Justice Ministry held a staged 'audience fictive' on June 2 that used an actor as the accused, an actress as the victim and real magistrates to show how the plaider‑coupable procedure would work.
- Critics said the exercise confirmed fears about legitimacy and blurred the line between judicial function and government advocacy by placing serving magistrates in a ministry-organized publicity event.
- The staged scenario showed the acted defendant accepting a prosecutor's nine-year prison offer instead of facing a full assize trial, and the session was live-streamed on ministry channels.
- Journalists who attended faced strict access rules including early arrival and no leaving during the 2.5-hour demonstration, and officials say the measure would apply to only a small number of cases each year.
- The event comes as the broader justice bill has already cleared the Senate and now heads for final debate in the National Assembly, raising questions about whether staged publicity will sway lawmakers and affect victims' and defendants' rights.