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► Full reference : M.-A. Frison-Roche, Scientific coprdination and co-hosting of the colloquia series Compliance and Contract, organised on the initiative of the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and its academic partners

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► The Symposium Series in a nutshell : As a direct continuation of the previous symposium series co-organised by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance and its partner universities on "Compliance Obligation", which served as the basis for the publication of the book 📘Compliance Obligation,  The series, some elements of which began in 2024 and others are already present in this book, explored in depth the specific theme of the links between compliance law and contracts. Indeed, compliance law is often analysed as the construction of laws and regulations to achieve "📘 Monumental Goals " of a political nature desired by States and public authorities, to the achievement of which systemic economic operations contribute through 📘Compliance Tools that are now well documented. Contracts are still relatively little studied, or even developed, in compliance systems that are often perceived through the orders issued, the technologies put in place and the 📘sanctions to be avoided or endured. On the contrary, the future of compliance law, particularly in its European conception, which places human beings at the centre of concerns for the sustainability of systems and the use of contracts, is the new conception that we must adopt. Contracts then appear to be both the means by which the subject company fulfils its legal obligations, forges relationships with other actors and deploys the necessary innovations. Contract law is both used and renewed as a result. The series of symposiums will examine various aspects of this general issue. It will result in the publication of a 📘book Compliance and Contrat.

► Presentation of symposiums in development : 

• 29 May 2026🧮THE JUDGE CONFRONTED WITH CONTRACTS OF COMPLIANCE AND COMPLIANCE CLAUSES: read the presentation

• 12 June 2026🧮THE "CONTRACT OF COMPLIANCE" : read the presentation

• 25  Septembre 2026🧮COMPLIANCE: CLAUSE BY CLAUSE: read the presentation

• 2 October 2026🧮COMPLIANCE AND COMMON CONTRACT LAW : read the presentation

• September 2026🧮COMPLIANCE, VALUE CHAINS AND CONTRACT: read the presentation

• 2 November 2026 🧮COMPLIANCE AND THE STRATEGIC CONTRACTUAL ORGANISATION OF CHAINS VALUE BY ENTERPRISES: read the presentation 

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► Référence complète : M.-A. Frison-Roche, Mission confiée par le garde des Sceaux, Droit de la compliance souveraineté juridique et attractivité économique, 2025-2026.

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📜lire la lettre de mission du garde des Sceaux du 5 septembre 2025 saisissant Marie-Anne Frison-Roche

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► Présentation méthodologique de la menée de cette mission : À

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► Full Reference: M.A. Frison-Roche, "La part du gracieux dans le traitement juridictionnel de la compliance (The role of Discretionary Jurisdictio in the judicial treatment of Compliance cases)", in Mélanges Dominique d'Ambra, Liber Amicorum, Lefebvre-Dalloz, 2026, pp.175-196.

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📝read this article (in French) 

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🚧read the bilingual Working Paper, base of this article

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► English summary of this article: Based on the definition of Judicial Office, the procedural principles that derive from it and the consequent powers that judges exercise, the objet of this study is to measure the degree of discretion that exists in the judicial treatment of compliance, without direct consideration for the dispute between litigants. This part is very ignored, when it should be given top priority. Indeed, because Systems are involved in compliance cases brought before civil or commercial judges, we are seeing a development of this discretionary element in judicial fonction. Discretionary matters differ from unilateral discretionary procedures, and this discretionary element relates to what the judge examines, possibly in the context of a dispute.

The first part of this contribution therefore aims to describe the natural development of the discretionary power of the judge to deal with compliance cases brought before them. This role stems from the fact that, even when triggered by a dispute, what is submitted to the judge is a situation composed of a system, which cannot defend its interests before the civil or commercial judge in this Systemic Litigation arising from the very nature of Compliance Law and the Compliance Obligations it engenders on systemic entites. Moreover, it is the Future whose interests must be considered and protected, which the judge must do directly.

This leads to the second part of the contribution, calling for a rethinking of the procedure and the role of the Compliance Judge, so that ex gratia matters can be dealt with. The judge must therefore verify that there are no conflicts of interest between the litigants, including hidden ones, and must learn about the systems involved. The inquisitorial principle must therefore be strengthened. But at the same time, since the primary aim is not to settle a dispute but to resolve a systemic problematic situation, the judge must facilitate the movements of the parties, and the adversarial principle must also be strengthened. Must be encouraged this activation of a powerful and discretionary approach, not as an exception but as a principle fully articulated with a contentious principle, with the dispute being only a means used by the necessary parties to enable systemic compliance situations to be resolved.

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► Full reference: M.-A. Frison-Roche, "La définition juridique du Contrat de compliance (The legal definition of the compliance contract)", in Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) published by the Centre for Research on Justice and Conflict Resolution (CRJ) and the Centre for Research in Economics and Law (CRED) at Panthéon-Assas University (Paris II), Le "Contrat de compliance" (The "Compliance Contract"),  Paris II Lecture Theatre -  82 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, Paris, 12 June  2026.

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🧮view the full programme for the event

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📶view the slides (in French)

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🌐read the presentation made on LinkedIn

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🚧Read the bilingual working paper on which this conference is based

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📝This lecture will form the basis of a contribution to the book, 📕Compliance et Contrat (Compliance and Contracts), 

To be published in the 📚Regulations & Compliance series, a book co-published by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Lefebvre-Dalloz.

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► Overview of this lecture : The lecture is divided into three parts.

In the first part, the aim is to describe the reality of the “Compliance Contract”, which can be defined as the decision taken by an entity subject to a “Compliance Obligation” (most often a company, but it may also be a administrative organisation) to entrust the fulfilment of that obligation to a third party. This does not diminish the entity’s obligation to be accountable for the compliance structure, nor for its ability to produce the expected outcomes, in particular the behaviours that will contribute to achieving the Monumental Systemic Goals for which the compliance frameworks were adopted. This outsourcing is lawful; its contractual form falls under Contract Law and the principle of contractual freedom.

Even if one considers that, since the subject matter of the contract is Compliance itself, it would constitute a ‘Systemic Contract’—just as Compliance Litigation is ‘Systemic Litigation’—its fundamental nature is indeed a bilateral relationship between a client and a professional (who is often subject to professional rules and codes of conduct).

Indeed, there are legal consequences to this practice of “Compliance Contracts”, because it is the Compliance System that is thereby served: on the one hand, “regulatory clauses” will be inserted, whilst others will be removed (“deemed unwritten”). Contractual freedom remains the guiding principle, however.

In Contract Law, it would be appropriate for the contracting parties to refer to this contribution to the Monumental Goals, which constitute the  fundamental legal norm of the Compliance System, if only to guide the contract Judge who may be called upon in the event of a dispute, as the interpretation of the parties’ intentions must be carried out in a teleological manner.

In the second part, the relationship between this "Compliance Contract" and the various "Compliance Clauses" is analysed. The two should certainly not be confused, since, quite apart from these highly specific contracts through which the various compliance techniques are entrusted, in their drafting and management, to third parties, who thus become the experts, there are also clauses inserted into numerous contracts (sales, distribution, manufacturing, service, etc.), clauses which aim, amongst many other clauses serving different purposes, to incorporate compliance considerations into the contract.

But first and foremost, the Compliance Contract contains numerous clauses specific to it, which often derive from compliance system, since Compliance concretisation is the very purpose of this specific contract, et nothing else: it is therefore logical that, by way of a ‘transparency effect’, the legal Compliance Systemic requirements should be incorporated into the isolated contract.

Secondly, and more significantly, many various contracts contain clauses that provide for the triggering of a “Compliance Ccontract”. For example, when an audit clause is linked to a specific event and the provision stipulates that a contract will then be entered into with a particular expertal body or person, this will generate a Compliance Contract in a second time. The link between the two may give one of the contracting parties control over the other, notably if the expert is close to them. If the links between Compliance Contracts and Compliance Clauses are developping, this could lead to a return to vertical integration. Competition Law may be justified in looking into this. 

It appears that, once we have distinguished between Compliance Contracts and Compliance Clauses, and then linked them together, we can arrive at a Contractual Compliance Strategy that is both legitimate and effective, provided that it contributes to the achievement of the Compliance Monumental Goals set by the political and public authorities. 

Indeed, as soon as we distinguish between “conformity” – which is intended solely to compel the operator to obey all applicable regulations blindly and mechanically – and “Compliance Law”, which is legally guided by Monumental Systemic Goals, this contractual strategy becomes essential.

Part Three sets out to clarify the scope of this Compliance Contract.

The first implication concerns the Compliance System itself, of which it forms a part; the Compliance Contract having the welcome effect of increasing the operator’s contribution to the achievement of the Monumental Systemic Goals (ensuring that systems – banking, financial, transport, energy, climate, digital, etc.—do not collapse and do not crush human beings, but rather benefit the human beings who are involved in them, whether willingly or not).

To this end, the contract must enable the operator – where necessary by means of express provisions – to demonstrate its credibility in contributing to the achievement of these Monumental Goals. Reliable pathways and credible structures must be established. In the cas of technical implementation is outsourced by a Compliance Contract, this obligation to provide evidence may be undermined. To compensate for this, the Compliance Contract may itself include provisions relating to portable technical information, support available through the client's accountability mechanism, or even in the event of legal proceedings.

The second aspect concerns the contractors themselves, who adapt their intentions and are bound, above all, by this “little law” which is any contract for the parties. This perspective is surprisingly underdeveloped in practice, no doubt because in Law, when considering Compliance, reference is made to unilateral “regulations” and the vertical relationship of obedience that it engenders in the operator.  This changes with the transformation of "conformity" (which is that) in "Compliance Law" (which is based on Monumental Systemic Goals and justifies contracts).

The third aspect concerns third parties, namely the stakedholders (and competitors...). These third parties benefit from Compliance Contracts because they are integrated into the Compliance System and because of the transparency between this system and the Compliance Contracts. In fact, and more technically speaking, this specific Cgreement provides them not only with a accountable(the company, the public body, the State), but also with a contractual debtor. Stakeholders may assert rights against the latter.

However, because the contracts themselves are also enforceable against third parties, they can anticipate these relationships with third parties – not only the competitors of the entity subject to the Compliance Obligation, but also its own relationship with stakeholders, and even its relationship with public authorities. Indeed, the object (and effect) of the Compliance Contract is to produce and build up Information that is of interest to everyone. The result is a ‘treasure trove of evidence’. A key question is how, and whether, this treasure trove can remain within the circle of the contracting parties or not.

Indeed, the fourth area concerns Public Authorities. As the bodies that “uphold” the compliance system, they consider the Compliance Contract to be legitimate and one of the most effective means of ensuring that regulations are effective, efficient and properly enforced; however, they also wish to benefit from the outcome of the contract’s implementation: to access the systemic information it generates. The contracting parties do not always share this view, but the Compliance Contract is not a means of “obeying” regulations. It is the Judge who will certainly address this question of principle, which relates to the very definition of Compliance Law.

This brings us to the fifth area of application, which concerns the Courts. Indeed, a number of courts are responsible for hearing such cases: the contract courts, the competition courts, the courts overseeing the various systems whose sustainability is thus safeguarded, and the courts specialising in vigilance legal duty  (which is the cutting edge of Compliance Law). 

The issue of the “natural judge” was examined at the symposium held on 29 May 2026 on: Contractual litigation involving compliance: procedural and jurisdictional aspects. The judge hearing the contract case (civil or commercial judge) will tend to refer first and foremost to the contract. This is also why the Compliance Contract conceptor would be well advised to include provisions in its terms regarding its relationship with the Compliance System, so that it is not the authorities of that system who do so in a too much discretionary manner.

In understanding the "Compliance Contract", as Iit was emphasised in 2022, in the judge’s interpretation of the contract, the judge is required to reconcile the parties’ intentions with a teleological approach, that is to say, to establish that the parties intended to serve the purpose of the expertise thus requested and developed (for the operator and ultimately for the stakeholders and for the system itself). 

By establishing this convergence, the judge gives full effect to the Cmpliance Contract. Rather than framing the issue, as is so often done when reasoning in terms of ‘conformity’, as a conflict between contractual freedom and public policy (conformity serving a public policy that would be contrary to the contract, inferior norm in the vertical normative hiercharchy). 

It must be accepted as a fundamental principle that contractual freedom, freedom of contract and a competitive market for compliance expertise are the most effective means of developing a Compliance System that will safeguard interconnected  different systems and protect the people involved in them.

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⛏️Find out more  :

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝Compliance contract, compliance clauses, 2022

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, ⚙️Compliance and Contracts,

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► Full reference: M.-A. Frison-Roche, "Le maniement du temps dans le contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance : de l’urgence au temps long (The management of time in contractual litigation involving compliance: from urgency to the long term)", in Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Jean Moulin – Lyon 3 University, Contractual disputes involving compliance: procedural and jurisdictional aspects,  Faculty of Law, Lyon, 29 May 2026.

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🧮view the full programme for the event (in French)

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📶view the slides (in French)

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🚧Read the bilingual working paper on which this conference is based

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Read the présenation of the other two papers presented at this conference:

🎥The emergence of contractual disputes involving compliance due to the convergence of legal areas

🎥Appropriate adjudication in contractual disputes involving compliance and its effective enforcement

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📝This lecture will form the basis of a contribution to the book, 📕Compliance et Contrat  with English summaries) 

To be published in the 📚Regulations & Compliance series, a book co-published by the Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Lefebvre-Dalloz.

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► Overview of this conference : 

⛏️Find out more  :

🕴🏻J.-M. Coulon and 🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche (eds.), Le temps dans la procédure (Time in Legal Proceedings), 19966

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, ⚙️Compliance and Contracts,

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► Référence complète : M.-A. Frison-Roche, "Le jugement adéquat dans le contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance", in Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) et Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (,..), Le contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance : aspects procéduraux et juridictionnels,  Faculté de droit, Lyon, 29 mai 2026.

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🧮consulter le programme complet de la manifestation

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📶consulter les slides

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🚧Lire le document de travail bilingue sur la base duquel cette conférence est bâti

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Lire la présentation des deux autres interventions dans ce colloque :

🎥L'émergence du contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance par la convergence des matières

🎥Le temps  

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📝Cette conférence sera la base d'une contribution dans l'ouvrage, 📕Compliance et Contrat, 

à paraître dans la collection 📚Régulations & Compliance, ouvrage coédité par le Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) et Lefebvre-Dalloz.

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► Présentation de cette conférence : 

⛏️Aller plus loin  :

🕴🏻J.-M. Coulon et 🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche (codir.), Le temps dans la procédure ⚙️Compliance et Contrat, 19966

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, ⚙️Compliance et Contrat,

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► Référence complète : M.-A. Frison-Roche, "L'émergence du contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance par la convergence des matières", in Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) et Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 (,..), Le contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance : aspects procéduraux et juridictionnels,  Faculté de droit, Lyon, 29 mai 2026.

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🧮consulter le programme complet de la manifestation

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📶consulter les slides

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🚧Lire le document de travail bilingue sur la base duquel cette conférence est bâti

____

Lire la présentation des deux autres interventions dans ce colloque :

🎥Le maniement du temps dans le contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance : de l’urgence au temps long

🎥Le jugement adéquat dans le contentieux contractuel impliquant la Compliance et son exécution efficace

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🌐Lire le compte-rendu de la conférence et de la manifestation sur LinkedIn

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📝Cette conférence sera la base d'une contribution dans l'ouvrage, 📕Compliance et Contrat, 

à paraître dans la collection 📚Régulations & Compliance, ouvrage coédité par le Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) et Lefebvre-Dalloz.

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► Présentation de cette conférence introductive du colloque : S'insérant dans un cycle de colloques sur Compliance et Contrat, ce colloque porte sur une hypothèse procédurale et juridictionnelle précise : celle d'un contentieux contractuel qui est porté devant le "juge du contrat", qu'il soit civil ou commercial, devant lequel est alléguée une obligation de compliance. Quels effets procéduraux et juridictionnels cela produit-il ?

⛏️Aller plus loin  :

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche (codir.), ⚙️Compliance et Contrat, 2026

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝Obligation de Compliance : construire une structure de compliance produisant des effets crédibles au regard des Buts Monumentaux visés par le Législateur, in 🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📕L'obligation de compliance, 2025

De nature introductive, ce premier développement vise à décrive la façon dont la question systémique de la compliance doit entrer dans un litige contractuel (la question de la transformation de principe que cela entre sur ce litige est traité par Thibault Goujon-Béthan, qui en montre les spécificités que cela produit.

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Après avoir rappelé en premier lieu ce qu'est l'obligation de compliance à laquelle certaines organisations sont assujetties et en second lieu souligné le mouvement de juridictionnalisation de la compliance, la conférence décrit tout d'abord la façon dont cette "obligation systémique de compliance va pénétrer dans le contentieux contractuel et va ensuite analyser comment de ce fait la "matière systémique de la compliance" va s'articuler au litige contractuel.

Cette hypothèse est encore assez peu étudiée car, en restreignant l'obligation de compliance à la "conformité", produit un rapport unilatéral à la "masse réglementaire", le contrat (et le contentieux lié) y aurait peu de place.

Au mieux, le contrat serait un "objet passif", la réglementation écrivant ou effaçant des clauses, ce qui est davantage un contentieux réglementaire qu'un contentieux contractuel.

Le développement des "contrats de compliance" et des "clauses de compliance", issus de l'autonomie de la volonté change cela, transposant leur nature systémique et téléologique dans le contentieux qu'un cocontractant ou un tiers va porter devant le juge ordinaire du contrat.

Ce sont surtout les stratégies d'un contractant qui vont insérer dans les éléments du litige la compliance, impliquant donc celle-ci. L'on trouve des décisions de justice qui l'illustrent. Une partie au contrat évoquera son obligation de compliance pour obtenir l'exécution d'une obligation que le contrat ne prévoit pas, ou pour obtenir l'engagement de la responsabiilité contractuelle du cocontractant, ou pour se soustraire à une demande d'exécution de son obligation contractuelle. Dans une stratégie plus globale, le litigant peut évoque son obligation systémique de compliance pour destituer le juge du contrat, ou au contraire pour conférer à celui des pouvoirs que celui-ci n'a pas d'ordinaire.

Cette pénétration stratégique va faire se rencontrer la "matière contractuelle et la "matière de la compliance", la matière étant aussi ce par quoi le juge est saisi. Alors la matière contractuelle est souvent bilatérale, singulière et belligueuse, alors que la "matière de la compliance" est de nature systèmique (ce dont les contentieux répressif et administratif rendent davantage compte) et comprend un part essentiel de gracieux.

⛏️Aller plus loin  :

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝Contrat de compliance, clauses de compliance, 2022

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝 La part du gracieux dans le traitement juridictionnel de la compliance ,in  📗Mélanges en l'honneur de Dominique d'Ambra, 2026

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝Contrat de compliance, clauses de compliance, 2022

🕴🏻M.-A. Frison-Roche, 🏛️Mission donnée par le garde des Sceaux, ministre de la Justice, Droit de la Compliance, Travaux en cours, 2025 - 2026.

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► Référence complète : M.-A. Frison-Roche,  « Le déploiement de l’art contractuel ne fait que commencer en matière de compliance », interview réalisée par Olivia Dufour pour Actu-juridique, Lextenso, 4 mai 2026

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► lire l'entretien : 💬 Lire l'interview

🌐lire la présentation de l'entretien sur LinkedIn

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► présentation  de l'entretien par Actu-Juridique : Le professeur Marie-Anne Frison-Roche poursuit l’élaboration d’une doctrine de la compliance avec un cycle de cinq conférences sur « compliance et contrat » qui se tiendront entre mai et novembre prochains. Il paraît étonnant  que le contrat joue un rôle dans la compliance, conçue comme une série d’obligations réglementaires de mettre en place des structures d’alerte, des plans, des systèmes de collecte d’information et de sécurité de données afin d’obtenir des comportements efficaces…Marie-Anne Frison-Roche nous explique que c’est, en réalité, un outil stratégique à développer.

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Q. Pouvez-vous nous rappeler la différence entre compliance et conformité car la confusion est encore fréquente entre les deux notions ? 

Résumé de la réponse de MAFR : El

Q. On a le sentiment que la compliance relève plutôt du pénal que des outils du droit civil….

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : l'

Q. Qu’est-ce que le « contrat de compliance » ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Le contrat de compliance doit être distingué des « clauses de compliance ». À quoi servent celles-ci dans les contrats ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Quel est l’intérêt pour les entreprises ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Les enjeux sont de plus en plus importants, on le voit dans les nouveaux contentieux liés au devoir de vigilance, mais aussi à travers la condamnation récente de Lafarge pour financement du terrorisme. Quelles leçons peut-on tirer de ce jugement ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Pourquoi cette distinction entre droit pénal et droit de la compliance est-elle si importante  ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Quels sont les signes de cette contamination  ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Précisément, Lafarge a conclu un accord avec le Department of Justice américain de 778 millions de dollars en 2022 pour refermer ce dossier. Il était difficile ensuite, pour les personnes physiques désignées outre-Atlantique comme étant à l’origine des infractions, de se défendre devant la justice française….

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

Q. Le ministre de la Justice vous a confié une mission sur la compliance, quel est son objet ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

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