Solemn Opening of the Legal Year

© Government Communication Department / Stéphane Danna

The traditional Solemn Opening of the Legal Year was held on Wednesday 1 October at the Palais de Justice in the presence of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince, accompanied by Mr Samuel Vuelta Simon, Secretary of State for Justice, Director of the Department of Justice, alongside H.E. Mr Christophe Mirmand, Minister of State – attending for the first time – Archbishop Dominique-Marie David of Monaco, and numerous dignitaries. The session was preceded by the Red Mass, celebrated at Monaco Cathedral.

This Solemn Session marked the beginning of the 2025/2026 judicial year.

After reviewing the judicial activity of the past year, Mr Francis Jullemier-Millasseau, First President of the Court of Appeal, stressed the importance of judicial independence in a State governed by the rule of law, as a guarantee of its effectiveness.

For his part, Mr Stéphane Thibault, Public Prosecutor General, presiding over the Public Prosecution Service, delivered his submissions and, among other points, highlighted the progress made by Monaco’s justice system in implementing the action plan aimed at securing removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

Finally, the keynote address was delivered by Ms Delphine Lanzara, Policy Officer at the Department of Justice, and Professor Yves Strickler, Academic Director of the Monegasque Institute for Training in Legal Professions (IMFPJ), on the theme: “The IMFPJ in the Service of a Law in Motion”.