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Day: 5 October 2022

Newly-promoted MBA “looking to become a fully-fledged LF2 team”

by: Luke Entwistle
05/10/2022

Monaco Basket Association, the Principality’s women’s basketball team, presented their new-look side on Monday and outlined their objectives for this season following a promotion to the LF2. 

Just like the men’s basketball side, the Roca Team, the MBA has undergone a monumental transformation this summer. Only three players (Lucie Laroche, Ashunae Durant and Julia Chandler) have been retained, which therefore means that there has been a drastic overhaul of the playing squad. As per LF2 regulations, the club has had to adopt a more youthful roster, with four players under the age of 23 drafted in (Hermance Marti, Kimsy Demontoux, Fatou-Mata Touré and Ève Wembanyama).

The club have also brought in a new coach, Régis Racine, and a new assistant, Mohamed Lamine Keita. Racine, a former professional player, made the switch from coaching men’s sides to take up a role at LF2 side Limoges before arriving in the Principality. Questioned by Monaco Life as to what tempted him to take the reigns at the MBA, he responded, “The challenge first and foremost. Then there is the level that we’re playing at. I think a lot of people would be attracted by that.”

The players, the coaching staff as well as the club’s two kits for the upcoming season were all presented to the media during a conference in Fontvieille. It was also the time for the club to outline its objectives for the upcoming season. Having only just become a fully professional side following promotion last season, the MBA aren’t getting ahead of themselves. “The LF2 is a world apart from last year’s NF1,” said the club’s president Éric Elena.

Elena as well as head coach Racine were clear: “For our first year at this level, we’re playing to stay up,” said Elena. “I’m really hoping that we enjoy ourselves, that our supporters are happy to come watch us at the Gymnase Annonciade (home court), and that we produce some brilliant basketball. I hope that we will become a fully-fledged LF2 side in the future,” he added.

The MBA are eager to get underway following a lengthy two-month pre-season. “The preparation was long. We now want that adrenaline that you get from a game,” said Racine.

The club begin with consecutive home matches, both against Charnay, firstly in the Coupe de France (8th October) and then in the league (15th October). “They are the favourites for the championship,” Racine told Monaco Life. “That match will allow us to situate ourselves within the league,” he continued.

Basketball is flourishing within the borders of the Principality. The exploits from the Roca Team last season raised the profile and interest in the sport, whilst the MBA’s promotion further underlined the sport’s positive trajectory. “We are representing our Principality in a great light. We have to be proud of our club and be proud to represent our colours. I think we’re on a good path,” said Racine.

A difficult season lies in wait for the MBA, but it is a season that holds equally a lot of promise and a lot of excitement, as the club reaches new, unexplored heights.

 

Photo of Régis Racine, Éric Elena and Victoria Majekodunmi by Jérémie Bernigole-Stroh

 

 

 

 

St Paul’s to host October Ristretto concert

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/10/2022

A new series of Ristretto concerts will be held this October in Monaco and Menton.

‘Motets et Cantiques de la Liturgie Anglicane’  includes works by Taverner, Byrd, Gibbons, Purcell, Wesley, Bairstow, Stanford and Howells. The Anglican choral tradition, as upheld in cathedrals and churches throughout the United Kingdom, provides a rich storehouse of beautiful sounding settings: hymns, psalms, anthems, and motets, sung a cappella or accompanied by an organ.

This is a rare opportunity to hear some of these lovely works, which will be performed under the inspired and experienced direction of Errol Girdlestone and features Marcello Formenti on the organ.

Ristretto will be hosted at St Paul’s in Monaco on Saturday 15th October at 8pm and in Menton at St John’s on Sunday 16th October at 4pm.

Entry is free, although a donation of €20 is welcome.

 

 

 

Monaco judiciary missing two key players ahead of 2022-23 session

by: Stephanie Horsman
05/10/2022

Monaco’s magistrates ended their 2021-22 session with a number of transfers and departures, including the two key positions of President of the Court of Appeal and the Attorney General.

The judiciary of Monaco met on Tuesday 4th October to end one judicial year as well as open the next.

The day started with a mass at the Cathedral of Monaco, which gave the participants a chance to reflect on the year and the strides made. The reform of many civil procedures marked the last session, and have made carrying out justice more efficient, modern and fast. Criminal procedure reforms are still being discussed and will carry over in 2022-23.

The judicial has cause to be proud of their last year’s work, which included integrating a new law which makes sexual assault a crime, explicitly defining what consent means and clarifying that violence, coercion, and surprise fall into the non-consent category. The law also protects minors, noting that consent cannot be given by any child under 13 years of age.

The acknowledgment of these important steps then turned to talk of the need to appoint people to two key positions, namely, President of the Court of Appeal and the Attorney General.

As for the President, “Brigitte Grinda-Gambarini, First President, who presided over this solemn back-to-school audience for 10 years, was admitted, at her request, to assert her rights to early retirement as of 15thJuly last,” said adviser Françoise Carracha, the acting President, according to a report by Monaco Matin.

Attorney General Sylvie Petit-Leclair resigned on 26th May after four years in the position when she was appointed Secretary of State for Justice, replacing Robert Gelli.

Sylvie Petit-Leclair confided this summer, during an interview granted to Monaco-Matin that, “I will ensure that people recruited are really the right people to perform duties in Monaco. The First President will necessarily be someone who is a good lawyer but also an organiser. The Court of Appeal must be operated and organised with new and modern practices. I will look for the rare pearl.”

New Attorney General appointment pending

Whilst finding the “pearl” may take time, the assumption out of the judiciary is that the appointment of a new Attorney General will be sooner rather than later, though no firm timeline has been given. For now, Julien Pronier, First Deputy, has been responsible for assuming the role of Acting Attorney General and will do so until Monday, when the task will be passed on to Olivier Zamphiroff.

The Acting Attorney General spoke of departures from the General Prosecutor’s Office. Of Alexia Brianti, he noted her moves, saying she was a “general substitute who became a judge at the Court of First Instance”, and Cyrielle Colle, “first substitute for the Attorney General who became a justice of the peace.” He also mentioned Olivier Zamphiroff, Deputy Attorney General whose secondment had come to an end. Faithful to Sylvie Petit-Leclair, he was appointed adviser to the Secretary of State for Justice, alongside Richard Dubant.

Judicial year in review

The day also gave the judiciary a chance to compare figures compared to the previous year. Of note is that the number of narcotics cases dropped significantly from 110 in 2020-21 to 69 in 2021-22, though drink-driving skyrocketed from 44 to 101 in the same time period.

The number of people jailed remained steady, with 63 in 2021-22, only two less than the previous year, and 18 decisions were rendered by the Supreme Court versus 26 the year prior.

The court had 74 reports opened for criminal proceedings, including 19 money laundering charges, and they made 44 civil judgements and 30 criminal ones this last year at the Court of Revision, with 127 civil matters and 27 correctional ones made at the Court of Appeal.

 

Photo source: Pixabay