Gérald Darmanin Announces Digital Transformation in the Ministry of Justice

Paris – 23.06.2026: Gérald Darmanin, the French Minister of Justice, announced a fundamental digitization of the Ministry of Justice in an interview with Franceinfo. Under the motto of a “digital shock,” he aims to achieve a complete switch to digital documents within the next six months and to abolish the use of paper files. This is part of a broader reform to increase efficiency and transparency in the judiciary.

The move comes after significant public criticism, especially related to the so-called Lyhanna affair. In May 2026, eleven-year-old Lyhanna disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Fleurance, southwestern France. The main suspect, Jérôme Barella, had already been reported in August 2025 on suspicion of sexual abuse of a ten-year-old girl named Rosa. Despite the seriousness of the allegations, Barella was neither questioned nor arrested. This failure caused outrage among the public and led to accusations against the judicial authorities for not adequately heeding warning signs.

Rosa’s mother, supported by her lawyer Pierre Debuisson, filed a lawsuit against the French state for “gross negligence.” She holds the judiciary partly responsible for the insufficient response to early indications of Barella’s behavior and sees this failure as a possible factor in Lyhanna’s tragic fate. “If the judiciary had done its job, Lyhanna would still be alive,” she stated in an interview.

In response to the allegations, Darmanin has initiated an independent investigation focusing on possible internal weaknesses in the justice system. Together with Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, an administrative inquiry has been commissioned by the General Inspectorate of Justice and the General Inspectorate of the National Gendarmerie.

At the same time, Darmanin is promoting the introduction of modern technologies in the judiciary. In June 2026, an independent observatory for Artificial Intelligence was established to monitor the use of AI applications in judicial administration and ensure that ethical standards are met. Darmanin called AI the “most powerful lever for the transformation of justice in fifty years.”

Since May 2026, judicial staff have had access to an internal AI tool called “Mon Assistant Justice,” which supports administrative and editorial tasks. It provides assistance such as automatic text generation, summaries, and translations, aiming to simplify daily work and reduce processing times.

The combination of technological progress and structural reforms is intended to restore public trust in the French justice system and reduce the risk of new cases like the Lyhanna affair. Gérald Darmanin shows determination to fundamentally modernize the justice system and adapt it to current challenges.