Monaco’s National Council held a critical discussion on Tuesday, October 15, regarding the state of the Principality’s justice system, highlighting the need for increased resources to meet international standards and remain off the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. Christophe Brico, an elected official, emphasised the importance of “effective justice” as a key factor in achieving compliance, stating, “We need human, material, and legislative resources.”
Christine Pasquier-Ciulla, president of the Commission for Family Rights and Equality, initiated the debate, stressing the urgency of equipping Monaco’s judiciary to handle increasingly complex and specialised cases. She called for immediate government action to bolster the judicial system, which she described as under-resourced in both criminal and civil areas.
Pasquier-Ciulla pointed to a shortage of judges at the Court of First Instance, where four vacancies remain unfilled. “This is enormous for a court of our size,” she said, noting that current staffing levels are inadequate, particularly as demand grows. Me Régis Bergonzi echoed these concerns, adding that investigating judges are often required to sit in Criminal Court, detracting from their casework.
Prosecutor Stéphane Thibault has also raised alarms over staffing shortages, stating that the current number of six prosecutors is outdated, with the threshold originally requested back in 1994. A recent report by the FTA audit firm recommended increasing this number to at least ten to address rising workloads and allow for specialised investigation units.
In addition to staffing issues, concerns were raised about the poor state of judicial offices. Jean-Louis Grinda, president of the National Security Commission, lamented the “depressing” conditions of the court facilities, urging the government to improve working environments for judges.
Pasquier-Ciulla proposed relocating the Directorate of Judicial Services to another building to free up space for new recruits. This move was discussed two years ago, but no action has been taken.
National Council President Brico and other officials agreed on the urgent need for internal reorganisation and increased collaboration with France to support Monaco’s judicial system. Didier Guillaume, a council member, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing additional resources, acknowledging the importance of delivering effective criminal, civil, and administrative justice.
However, despite these positive discussions, Pasquier-Ciulla warned that the upcoming budget only includes a modest increase of 300,000 euros, insufficient to address the full scope of the required reforms.