Justice Center - Martinique (France)

March 12 - On Martinique, the GSE team had the pleasure of touring the new Justice Center, which was quite impressive. We met with the head prosecutor and one of his associates. They were very informative and answered many of our questions. I believe is was very enjoyable for the whole team and not just myself.

The prosecutors explained how France is changing a set of rules that govern trial practice and all the attorneys were getting ready for that change. They also explained how criminal cases are initiated which is very different from the American system. In Martinique, a judge works closely with the officers to investigate a crime and once there is enough evidence to move forward, the prosecutors take over.

Later, I met with another attorney at the Justice Center and then got to tour her office and met her associates.

They explained how law school and then internships result in permanent jobs and what their equivalent of the bar exam is. Everyone was very informative and I had a great time learning how other countries practice law on such an intimate basis.

Lillah McBride