Editing Robert Badinter (section)

==Political career==

===Beginnings===
Badinter started his career in Paris in 1951, as a lawyer working with [[Henri Torrès]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fayard.fr/auteurs/robert-badinter|title=Robert Badinter|date=31 March 2021|website=www.fayard.fr|access-date=15 October 2019|archive-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015073504/https://www.fayard.fr/auteurs/robert-badinter|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1965, along with [[Jean-Denis Bredin]], he founded the law firm Badinter, Bredin et partenaires, (now [[Bredin Prat]])<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecpm.org/en/robert-badinter-the-right-to-life-is-the-most-fundamental-human-right/|title=Robert Badinter: "The right to life is the most fundamental human right"|date=18 June 2016|website=Ensemble contre la peine de mort|access-date=2 April 2021|archive-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614042423/https://www.ecpm.org/en/robert-badinter-the-right-to-life-is-the-most-fundamental-human-right/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.bredinprat.fr/en/best-friends "Best Friends"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116132754/http://www.bredinprat.fr/en/best-friends/ |date=16 November 2017}}, bredinprat</ref> where he practiced law until 1981.

===The Bontems case===
Badinter's activism against capital punishment began after Roger Bontems's execution on 28 November 1972. Along with [[Claude Buffet]], Bontems had taken a prison guard and a nurse hostage during the [[Clairvaux Prison#1971 revolt|1971 revolt in Clairvaux Prison]]. While the police were storming the building, Buffet slit the hostages' throats. The jury sentenced both men to death. Badinter served as defense counsel for Bontems and was outraged by the sentence. After witnessing the executions, Badinter dedicated himself to the abolition of capital punishment.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-09 |title=Robert Badinter, the lawyer who fought to end the death penalty in France |url=https://www.france24.com/en/france/20211009-robert-badinter-the-lawyer-who-fought-to-end-the-death-penalty-in-france |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=France 24 |language=en |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180925/https://www.france24.com/en/france/20211009-robert-badinter-the-lawyer-who-fought-to-end-the-death-penalty-in-france |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Capital punishment===
In this context, he agreed to defend [[Patrick Henry (French murderer)|Patrick Henry]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-10-10 |title=Paying the life penalty |url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/10/worlddispatch.france |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=the Guardian |language=en |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180947/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/oct/10/worlddispatch.france |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 1976, eight-year-old Philippe Bertrand was kidnapped. Henry was soon picked up as a suspect, but released because of a lack of evidence. He gave interviews on television, saying that those who kidnapped and killed children deserved death. A few days later, he was arrested again and shown Bertrand's corpse hidden in a blanket under his bed. Badinter and Robert Bocquillon defended Henry, making the case not about Henry's guilt, but against a death sentence. Henry was sentenced to life imprisonment and died months after a [[compassionate release]] from prison in 2017 (after receiving parole in 2001, revoked in 2002).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Devin |first=Willy Le |title=Patrick Henry, un prisonnier condamné pour l'éternité |url=https://www.liberation.fr/france/2017/12/03/patrick-henry-un-prisonnier-condamne-pour-l-eternite_1614221/ |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=Libération |language=fr |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180935/https://www.liberation.fr/france/2017/12/03/patrick-henry-un-prisonnier-condamne-pour-l-eternite_1614221/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The lenient verdict came as a shock, with several publications having already called the outcome as a virtual certainty for execution; according to speculative sources, the critical vote on the death sentence failing by a seven-to-five vote majority.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1981-09-19 |title=Les six |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/archives/article/1981/09/19/les-six_2714985_1819218.html |access-date=2024-02-23 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Vimont |first=Jean-Claude |date=2014-02-20 |title=Un ado condamné à mort en 1975. L'affaire Bruno T. au milieu des années soixante-dix |url=https://journals.openedition.org/criminocorpus/2673 |journal=Criminocorpus. Revue d'Histoire de la justice, des crimes et des peines |language=fr |doi=10.4000/criminocorpus.2673 |issn=2108-6907|doi-access=free }}</ref> The case of [[Jerome Carrein]], condemned 15 days after Henry's sentence for the murder of a child, was widely dubbed the "revenge of the guillotine".<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2018-01-21 |title=L'affaire Carrein ou «la revanche de la guillotine» |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/l-affaire-carrein-ou-la-revanche-de-la-guillotine-21-01-2018-7514370.php |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=leparisien.fr |language=fr-FR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1977-06-24 |title=Guillotining of a Killer In France Denounced |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/24/archives/guillotining-of-a-killer-in-france-denounced.html |access-date=2024-02-23 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Until the execution of [[Gary Gilmore]] in [[Utah]] on 17 January, three days before Henry's verdict, France was the only Western liberal democracy actively performing executions. 

Despite president [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]]'s modernist outlook and stated opposition to the guillotine, a further three executions took place during this period, of [[Christian Ranucci]] in July 1976, Carrein in June 1977, and [[Hamida Djandoubi]] in September 1977. Badinter took no part in arguing either case.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Willsher |first1=Kim |title=Valéry Giscard d'Estaing obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/03/valery-giscard-destaing-obituary |access-date=13 February 2024 |work=The Guardian |date=3 December 2020 |archive-date=27 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027172805/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/03/valery-giscard-destaing-obituary |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=WaPo/> However, 63% of French voters supported keeping the death penalty at the time it was abolished.<ref name=DPRU/> In 1980-81, Badinter defended [[Philippe Maurice]], whose sentence of death was confirmed by the [[Court of Cassation (France)|superior court]] in March 1981, weeks before the [[French presidential election, 1981|election of]] abolitionist [[François Mitterrand]] to [[President of France|President]].<ref name=DPRU>{{cite web |publisher=Death Penalty Research Unit |title=The DPRU honours Robert Badinter (1928–2024) |url=https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/content/news/dpru-honours-robert-badinter-1928-2024 |author=Carolyn Hoyle |date=14 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=BARRAUD |first=Par Jeanne |date=2024-02-09 |title=Robert Badinter l'a sauvé, voici l'histoire du dernier condamné à mort français, devenu historien - Edition du soir Ouest-France - 09/02/2024 |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/leditiondusoir/2024-02-09/robert-badinter-l-a-sauve-voici-l-histoire-du-dernier-condamne-a-mort-francais-devenu-historien-c1eb6814-8bed-4f0b-aaff-5e6ecb94d7d3 |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=Ouest-France.fr |language=fr}}</ref> A further eight sentences of death were issued before the bill of abolition was passed by the French parliament in September (the last only two days before the Senate voted) but none reached stage of execution and were converted by the abolition act.<ref>lemonde.fr/archives/article/1981/09/19/les-six_2714985_1819218.html</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://cewamale.free.fr/Geneami/condamnations.html | title=Condamnations à mort }}</ref> Maurice's sentence, after lobbying from Badinter, was commuted by Mitterrand on May 25, among Mitterrand's first acts as president.<ref name=WaPo>{{cite news |newspaper=The Washington Post |title=France Will Retire Its Guillotine and Abolish the Death Penalty |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1981/09/18/france-will-retire-its-guillotine-and-abolish-the-death-penalty/3ab103aa-ebc0-40db-a311-a7525c704a4b/ |author=Edward Cody |date=17 September 1981}}</ref>

===Ministerial mandate (1981–1986)===
In 1981, [[François Mitterrand]], a self-professed opponent of the death penalty, was elected president and Badinter was appointed as [[Minister of Justice (France)|Minister of Justice]]. Among his first actions was to introduce a bill to [[Political system of France|Parliament]] proposing the abolition of the death penalty for all crimes, both civilian and military. The bill was passed by the Senate after heated debate on 30 September 1981. On 9 October the law was officially enacted, ending capital punishment in France.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-16 |title=Fighting to end death penalty worldwide 40 years after its abolition in France |url=https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20210916-fighting-to-end-death-penalty-worldwide-40-years-after-its-abolition-in-france |access-date=2023-01-30 |publisher=[[Radio France Internationale|RFI]] |language=en |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180930/https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20210916-fighting-to-end-death-penalty-worldwide-40-years-after-its-abolition-in-france |url-status=live }}</ref>

During his mandate, he also helped abolish "''juridictions d'exception''{{-"}} ("special courts"), such as the Cour de Sûreté de l'État ("{{Ill|State Security Court (France)|lt=State Security Court|fr|Cour de sûreté de l'État (France)}}") and the military courts,<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=9 January 1989 |title=EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS PRIZE |url=https://rm.coe.int/09000016807ab212 |access-date=11 February 2024 |publisher=[[Council of Europe]] |page=9}}</ref> and improved the rights of victims of crime.<ref name=":4" />

He remained a minister until February 1986.<ref name=":6"/>

===1986–2024===
[[File:Robert Badinter, 2007 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Badinter in 2007]]
From March 1986 to March 1995, he was president of the [[French Constitutional Council]]. From 1995 to 2011, he served as a [[French Senate|senator]], representing the [[Hauts-de-Seine]] [[département]].<ref>[http://www.senat.fr/senateur/badinter_robert95006b.html Robert Badinter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326202650/http://www.senat.fr/senateur/badinter_robert95006b.html |date=26 March 2022 }}, senat.fr</ref>

In 1989, he participated in an edition of the [[France 2|Antenne 2]] talk show ''[[Apostrophes (talk show)|Apostrophes]]'' devoted to human rights, together with the [[Tenzin Gyatso|14th Dalai Lama]]. Discussing the disappearance of [[Tibetan culture]] from Tibet, Badinter used the term "[[cultural genocide]]".<ref>[http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&from=fulltext&full=Salonique&num_notice=5&total_notices=8 Les droits de l'homme Apostrophes, A2 – 21 April 1989 – 01h25m56s] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081128154820/http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice |date=28 November 2008 }}, Web site of the [[Institut national de l'audiovisuel|INA]]</ref> He praised the example of Tibetan nonviolent resistance.<ref>[http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/badinter-la-non-violence-tibetaine-est-exemplaire_471273.html Badinter: "La non- violence tibétaine est exemplaire"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205113456/http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/monde/badinter-la-non-violence-tibetaine-est-exemplaire_471273.html |date=5 February 2011 }}, lexpress.fr; accessed 12 March 2017.</ref> Badinter met with the Dalai Lama many times, in particular in 1998 when he greeted him as the "Champion of Human Rights",<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tibet.fr/old/letter_december_98.htm|title=Letter December 98|website=www.tibet.fr|access-date=30 January 2009|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032753/http://www.tibet.fr/old/letter_december_98.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> and again in 2008.<ref>[http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/speciales/les_jo_de_pekin_2008/20080813.OBS7234/le_dalai_lama_affirme_que_la_chine_ne_respecte_pas_la_t.html "Badinter and Dalai Lama"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822143622/http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/speciales/les_jo_de_pekin_2008/20080813.OBS7234/le_dalai_lama_affirme_que_la_chine_ne_respecte_pas_la_t.html |date=22 August 2008 }}, ''Nouvel Observateur''; accessed 12 March 2017.</ref>

In 1991, Badinter was appointed by the [[Council of Ministers of the European Community]] as a member of the [[Arbitration Commission of the Peace Conference on Yugoslavia]]. He was elected as president of the commission by the four other members, all presidents of [[constitutional court]]s in the [[European Community]]. The Arbitration Commission has rendered eleven pieces of advice regarding "major legal questions" arising from  the split of the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]].<ref>[https://www.un.org/News/dh/hlpanel/badinter-bio.htm Curriculum vitae of Robert Badinter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420220212/https://www.un.org/News/dh/hlpanel/badinter-bio.htm |date=20 April 2019 }}, un.org; accessed 12 March 2017.</ref>

Badinter was the first president of the [[Court of Conciliation and Arbitration]] of the [[Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe]] (OSCE) following its creation in 1995; he served in that position until 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.osce.org/node/450118 |title=Robert Badinter – First President of the Court (1995–2013) |publisher=OSCE |accessdate=2022-11-24 |archive-date=24 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124150508/https://www.osce.org/node/450118 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Badinter opposed the [[accession of Turkey to the European Union]], on the grounds that Turkey might not be able to follow the rules of the Union. He was also concerned about the nation's location, saying: "We'll have, we Europeans, common borders with Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria. I am asking you: What justifies our common borders with these countries? What justifies that we'd get involved in the most dangerous areas of the world?"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleishman |first=Jeffrey |date=2004-12-16 |title=Turkey Is Knocking, but EU Is Hesitating |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-16-fg-euroturk16-story.html |access-date=2024-02-12 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506052345/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-dec-16-fg-euroturk16-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

As a head of the Arbitration Commission, he gained high respect among [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonians]] and other ethnic groups in the [[Republic of Macedonia]] because he recommended "that the use of the name 'Macedonia' cannot therefore imply any territorial claim against another State".<ref>For that judgement implying that [[Republic of Macedonia]] could unconditionally be admitted to [[International Organizations]] he was awarded with the title "Macedonian Senator" by the [[World Macedonian Congress]] in 2004. [http://makedonskosonce.com/old.makedonskosonce.com/broevis/2004/sonce501.pdf/16_20_pariz.pdf].</ref> He supported full recognition of the Republic in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol4/No1/art8-02.html|title=Recognition of States: Annex 3|date=15 February 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050215223455/http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol4/No1/art8-02.html|archive-date=15 February 2005}}</ref> He was involved in drafting the so-called [[Ohrid Agreement]] in the Republic of Macedonia.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Reka |first=Blerim |date=2014-01-01 |title=The Ohrid Peace Process: The Past, the Present, and the Future Perspective |journal=Comparative Southeast European Studies |language=en |volume=62 |issue=1 |pages=19–33 |doi=10.1515/soeu-2014-620103 |issn=2701-8202}}</ref> This agreement was based on the principle that ethnic-related proposals passed by the national assembly (and later to be applied to actions of city councils and other local government bodies) should be supported by a [[double majority]] of both Macedonian and Albanian ethnic groups. This is often called the "Badinter principle".<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Navari |first=Cornelia |date=2014 |title=Territoriality, self-determination and Crimea after Badinter |journal=International Affairs |volume=90 |issue=6 |pages=1299–1318 |doi=10.1111/1468-2346.12171 |jstor=24538667 |issn=0020-5850}}</ref>

In 2009, Badinter expressed dismay at the Pope's lifting of the excommunication of controversial English Catholic bishop [[Richard Williamson (bishop)|Richard Williamson]], who had expressed [[Holocaust denial]] and was illegally [[consecrate]]d a bishop.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nouvelobs.com/societe/20090202.OBS2742/eveque-negationniste-robert-badinter-s-indigne.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715121218/http://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/societe/20090202.OBS2742/eveque-negationniste-robert-badinter-s-indigne.html|url-status=dead|title=Evêque négationniste : Robert Badinter s'indigne|website=L'Obs|archive-date=15 July 2012}}</ref> The Pope reactivated the excommunication later.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-03-20 |title=Scomunicato il vescovo negazionista monsignor Williamson |url=https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/scomunicato-vescovo-negazionista-monsignor-williamson-1107348.html |access-date=2021-06-30 |website=[[Il Giornale]] |language=it |archive-date=10 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110013448/https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/cronache/scomunicato-vescovo-negazionista-monsignor-williamson-1107348.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Badinter was elected to the [[American Philosophical Society]] in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Robert+Badinter&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=2021-04-23|website=search.amphilsoc.org|archive-date=23 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423150436/https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=Robert+Badinter&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|url-status=live}}</ref>

===World Justice Project===
Badinter served as an Honorary Co-Chair for the [[World Justice Project]]. It works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the [[rule of law]] for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://worldjusticeproject.com/about/|title=About|access-date=23 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203064233/http://www.worldjusticeproject.com/about/|archive-date=3 February 2010}}</ref>

===Case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn===
At the start of the case of [[Dominique Strauss-Kahn]] in 2011, in which the IMF Managing Director was accused of rape and was arrested by the police in New York City, Robert Badinter reacted by saying to [[France Inter]] that he was outraged by the "media killing" and denounced the "failure of an entire system" inherent in the [[perp walk]] of Strauss-Kahn, a suspect, but also of the media judging an assumed culprit's guilt for charges that had not initiated a trial, and which were eventually dismissed.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/10/dominique-strauss-kahn-case-settled |title=Dominique Strauss-Kahn settles sexual assault case with hotel maid |newspaper=The Guardian |date=10 December 2012 |access-date=12 May 2021 |archive-date=26 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126172216/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/dec/10/dominique-strauss-kahn-case-settled |url-status=live |last1=Williams |first1=Matt }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-57114220110518 |title=Perp walk? Blame Giuliani |website=[[Reuters]] |access-date=12 May 2021 |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512105733/https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-57114220110518 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/88598/strauss-kahn-levy-daniel-badinter-imf |title=An Indefensible Defense |magazine=The New Republic |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=12 May 2021 |archive-date=12 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512121458/https://newrepublic.com/article/88598/strauss-kahn-levy-daniel-badinter-imf |url-status=live |last1=Rieff |first1=David }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Reddy |first=Sudeep |title=Strauss-Kahn Resigns From IMF |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703509104576331623409445148?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories |access-date=2024-02-23 |work=WSJ |language=en-US}}</ref> Strauss-Kahn had been a favoured Socialist candidate for the [[2012 French presidential election|presidential election]] the following April, but dropped all pretences of running after his arrest.