The Monegasque Supreme Court has denied a final appeal by French Judge Edouard Levrault who believed he was unfairly terminated when his contract was not renewed in Monaco last year.
Monaco’s highest court rejected the appeal on Thursday 25th June by the French magistrate who brought an excess of power charge against the State for non-renewal of contract for his position in Monaco.
As the decision by the Supreme Court is final, there can be no further appeals and the case is now considered closed.
“The decision not to renew the secondment of a French magistrate within the Monegasque judiciary is an act detachable from the bilateral convention of November 8, 2005 (between France and Monaco) and is a matter for the internal administration of Monaco,” the judges ruled, according to Monaco Matin.
The ruling went on to remind the magistrate it is not the right of the contract-holder to have an automatic renewal. The Director of Judicial Services can refuse to reinstate anyone at the end of their contract using their discretion.
Judge Levrault was working in Monaco on a three-year contract and was leading the case on suspicion of corruption involving a Swiss art dealer and Russian businessman Dmitry Rybolovlev.
He accused the State of letting him go because of differences in how the case should have been dealt with.
Laurent Anselmi, who was then the Director of Judicial Services, says the departure was due to the arrival of two new judges in a newly formed investigative office that was in the process of being set-up.
The court stated that Mr Levrault was not asked to leave because of any disciplinary measures, solely due to a new set of circumstances.
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