French lawmakers approve law easing legal presumption for police shootings

The National Assembly approved the proposal by 313 votes to 199, sending it to the Senate as debate intensified over whether France is protecting officers or lowering the barrier to deadly force.

The measure, bill no. 691 in the 17th legislature, was deposited on December 3, 2024, and a parliamentary report on the text followed on January 14, 2026. An amendment filed on the Assembly’s website would create a presumption of lawful use of a weapon for police officers and gendarmes, unless evidence shows they violated article L. 435-1 of the internal security code.

The current framework, loosened by a 2017 law, governs when officers may open fire in the line of duty. Under the new presumption, a shooting would start from the assumption of legality unless investigators or judges could prove otherwise.

The controversy has been sharpened by the killing of 17-year-old Nahel M in Nanterre on June 27, 2023, after a traffic stop. Amnesty International linked his death to the need to overhaul France’s firearms rules and address systemic racism in law enforcement. A Reuters tally put the number at 13 deaths in 2022 after refusals to comply with traffic stops, a record at the time, and the majority of victims since 2017 were Black or of Arab origin.

More than 360,000 people had signed a petition against it on the National Assembly website, while critics call the measure a “licence to kill.” Supporters want clearer legal cover in fast-moving, high-risk encounters, especially when split-second decisions can trigger national unrest.

A United Nations human rights expert warned that a presumption of lawful shooting could fuel impunity and weaken protections that require thorough investigations into potentially unlawful deaths. The Senate now holds the next test.