Pierre Arpaillange


Pierre Arpaillange was a French author, senior judge and Government Minister.

Career

After obtaining his law degree, Arpaillange began a judicial career in 1949. He became Secrétaire Général du Parquet de la Cour d'Appel de Paris and Secrétaire Général du Parquet de la Cour de Cassation in 1962.
Seconded to the Ministry of Justice from 1965 to 1974, Arpaillange became adviser to the Minister and, on several occasions, Chief of Staff for the Minister of Justice and Director of Criminal Affairs and Pardons at the Chancellery. He was also a member of the Haut Conseil de l'Audiovisuel in 1973.
Adviser to the Supreme Court from 1974, he was promoted to Attorney General at the Cour de Cassation in 1984. He became Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice in Michel Rocard's first and second governments. He famously committed a verbal blunder in the National Assembly during a 1990 debate, stating: "In 1989, out of 52 escapees, we've recaptured 53."
He left the government in 1990 to serve as a member of the Comité d'Honneur du Bicentenaire de la Cour des Comptes.

Decorations

He authored La simple justice .