France: Constitutional Council approves key security law articles targeting free parties and drug-related offenses

France's Constitutional Council has approved the core provisions of the "Ripost" law, a legislative package designed to bolster public safety and crack down on various forms of delinquency. The law, which was definitively adopted in July, introduces harsher penalties for a range of offenses, including unauthorized gatherings known as "free parties," dangerous urban "rodeos" involving illegal street racing, and the suspension of driving licenses for drug consumption, even when not actively driving.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, who championed the bill, hailed the council's decision as a "choice of intransigence with delinquency." He emphasized that the law aims to combat crime without infringing upon public liberties or the rule of law. The "Ripost" law, initially comprising 35 articles, was expanded to 69 articles during its passage through parliament.

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the choice of intransigence with delinquency

However, the council did censor seven specific provisions. These included measures for the administrative closure of shops selling pyrotechnic devices, the immediate destruction of vehicles used in urban rodeos, and the generalized use of pseudonyms for law enforcement agents involved in judicial investigations. The council also invalidated five articles deemed "legislative riders," meaning they lacked a direct connection to the main subject of the security law.

Deputies from the Socialist Party (PS) and La France Insoumise (LFI) had challenged thirty articles of the law. Their concerns included the increased penalties for illegal music gatherings, where organizers face up to two years in prison and a €30,000 fine, and participants up to six months in prison or a €300 fine. They also contested the administrative suspension of driving licenses for repeated drug use, even if the individual was not driving at the time. The article targeting driving under the influence of nitrous oxide was also specifically challenged by LFI deputies.

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without infringing upon public liberties or the rule of law