French Lawmakers Back 'Licence to Kill' Police Bill That Gives Officers the Benefit of the Doubt in Fatal Shootings

France has taken a major step towards one of its most divisive policing reforms in years after lawmakers approved a bill that critics have branded a 'licence to kill', warning it could make fatal police shootings more likely while making justice harder to obtain.

Backed by the government and long championed by the far right, the proposal would give officers involved in fatal shootings the benefit of the doubt. Instead of investigators starting from a neutral legal position, officers would initially be presumed to have acted within the law unless evidence proves otherwise.

Supporters say the change simply protects police forced to make split-second decisions in dangerous situations. Opponents argue it shifts the balance away from accountability at a time when public confidence in policing remains fragile.

The result has turned the French police 'licence to kill' bill into one of the country's most fiercely contested legal battles.

What The Bill Would Change

The French National Assembly approved the legislation on Tuesday by 313 votes to 199, sending it to the Senate for further consideration.

If it ultimately becomes law, the proposal would change how fatal police shootings are assessed at the beginning of an investigation. Officers would be presumed to have acted lawfully, although prosecutors would still be able to overturn that presumption if the evidence justified doing so.

That legal distinction lies at the heart of the controversy.

Critics argue the measure could make it more difficult to hold officers accountable because investigators would begin with an assumption that the shooting was lawful. Supporters insist the proposal does not shield police from prosecution but simply recognises the realities officers face when responding to dangerous incidents.

Why Critics Call It A 'Licence To Kill'

Much of the backlash centres on fears that the legislation could lead to more people being killed by police.

During the parliamentary debate, left-wing lawmaker Pouria Amirshahi delivered one of the strongest warnings against the proposal.

'There will be more deaths, if you authorise someone to use their firearm with the idea that they won't be accountable, then they will just shoot,' he told lawmakers.

He later added, 'This law grants police impunity.'

Those remarks quickly became a rallying point in the wider France police violence debate, with opponents arguing that stronger legal protections risk weakening France police accountability rather than strengthening public safety.

Marie-Laure Geoffray of Amnesty International also criticised the proposal, saying it could slow investigations into alleged police violence by placing a heavier burden on victims' families seeking to challenge official accounts.

Government Rejects Claims Of Police Immunity

French officials strongly dispute the suggestion that the legislation amounts to immunity for officers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told parliament the proposal would not prevent prosecutors from pursuing criminal cases where evidence supported doing so.

'It does not lead to penal irresponsibility, at any moment, if the circumstances are reunited, any prosecutor can reverse this presumption,' Nunez said.

Supporters of the French police shooting law argue that officers routinely face life-threatening situations and deserve legal protections that reflect the difficult decisions they are sometimes forced to make in seconds.

Rising Shootings Fuel Public Concern

The timing of the debate has only intensified public scrutiny.

According to France's police watchdogs, the IGPN and IGGN, police and gendarmerie officers were responsible for 69 fatal shootings in 2024, up from 49 in 2023 and 50 in 2022.

Those figures have become central to arguments against the French lawmakers' police bill, with critics questioning whether expanding legal protections is appropriate while fatal police shootings in France are already increasing.

Opponents also point to an earlier legal reform introduced in 2017, which expanded the circumstances in which officers could use firearms, including against moving vehicles. Academic research later found that fatal police shootings involving vehicles increased fivefold after that change, a comparison critics say should serve as a warning.

The Shadow Of Nahel Merzouk

The debate also unfolds against the backdrop of the Nahel Merzouk police shooting, one of the defining moments in France's recent policing history.

Nahel, a 17-year-old, was shot dead by a police officer during a traffic stop in 2023, triggering days of nationwide riots and reigniting allegations of police violence, particularly involving Black and Arab communities.

Although the current bill is not directly linked to Nahel Merzouk's death, his killing continues to cast a long shadow over France's policing debate. For critics, the legislation comes at a time when public confidence in police accountability is still deeply shaken, raising fears that the country could be moving towards greater legal protection for officers before fully addressing the concerns that sparked nationwide unrest in the first place.