The French Cour de Cassation During the Vichy Period

‘Il était des Nôtres.’ ¹

93This chapter treats the position and attitude of the French Cour de Cassation during the German occupation and the Vichy regime. It introduces the position of the court in the French government system and explains how it continued to function while the country was split in two territories: German occupied territory and Vichy. Resistance and collaboration of judges is examined, such as in relation to anti-Semitic policies. Finally, the chapter describes the post-war fate of the court and its role in the assessment ofits own war-time record.