French Parliament adopts law presuming police use of force is lawful

On 7 July 2026 the French National Assembly voted 313‑199 to adopt a bill that creates a presumption that police officers and gendarmes who fire their weapons are presumed to have acted within the law. The presumption is reversible – any video, testimony or forensic evidence can overturn it, and a prosecutor may reopen an investigation.

The proposal, backed by Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and the centre‑right‑Rassemblement National alliance, will now proceed to the Senate. Opponents – including left‑wing deputies, Amnesty International France, the Ligue des droits de l’homme and families of victims – denounce the measure as a “license to kill” that shifts the burden of proof onto victims’ relatives and could erode accountability for police shootings. More than 300 000 people have signed a petition against the law, and a UN special rapporteur warned it may weaken investigations and threaten the right to life.

The law replaces an earlier draft that spoke of “legitimate defence” with the wording “legitimate use of force”, aiming to protect officers in dangerous situations while preserving judicial oversight.