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► Full reference : M.-A. Frison-Roche, "De l'obligation de compliance à l'obligation de vigilance : le rôle du juge (From the obligation of compliance to the obligation of vigilance: the role of the judge)", in Round table De la compliance au devoir de vigilance. Une nouvelle responsabilité des entreprises (From Compliance to the Vigilance duty. A new responsibility for businesses," Lettre des juristes d'affaires, Oct. 2025.

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📝read the article reproducing the entire discussion (in French)

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► Summary of my contribution:  In this debate, the terms of which have been reproduced in the journal, I was asked to explain how the legal system had evolved, first by establishing Compliance Law, built on systemic ambitions to prevent sectoral disasters (banking, finance, energy), ambitions that constitute "Monumental Negative Goals", and then evolving on the one hand "Monumental Positive Goals", namely the protection of human beings involved willingly or unwillingly in these systems, on the other hand, outside even sectors with clearly defined boundaries, such as environmental or digital ambitions. The duty of vigilance extends this regulatory law and gives concrete form to the "compliance obligation" to which companies are subject. It is important to maintain a sense of proportion in the conception of the responsibility attached to it so as not to lose everything. Companies are bound by the goals but must remain free in their choice of means, and in particular be encouraged to use contractual techniques. This measure is entrusted to the judge because, due to the Compliance Jurisdictionalisation, it is at the heart of this new branch of Law, which is developing independently of fluctuations in the regulations.

During the discussion, I was asked for my opinion on the ruling handed down by the Paris Court of Appeal on 17 June 2025, known as La Poste case. I pointed out that the comments had often focused only on the developments regarding risk mapping, whereas this ruling first establishes the principle that the vigilance plan is the work of the company's decision-making bodies and is not co-constructed, as consultation is a process of discussion and taking in consideration, which is not the same thing, with the judge himself pointing out that they must not interfere in management.

In the discussion, I emphasised that if we were to highlight the essence of what would be a "new responsibility", it would primarily concern a new probative dimension that the company must implement in Ex Ante. The implementation of the CSRD, even if it has been excessively standardised, is in line with this, and this probative culture must be developed.

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⛏️Further reading on the subject :

🕴️M.-A. Frison-Roche (ed.), 📘Compliance Obligation, 2026

🕴️M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝Vigilance, the front line and integral part of the compliance obligation, 2025

🕴️M.-A. Frison-Roche, 📝Compliance, Vigilance and Civil Liability: put in Order and keep the sense of Reason, 2025

🕴️M.-A. Frison-Roche (ed.), 📘Compliance Jurisdictionalisation, 2024

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► Article summary : The 

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► Référence complète : L. Rapp, "Équilibres instables. L'office du juge à l'épreuve du devoir de vigilance", AJDA, 2025, Etude, n01074.

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🦉Cet article est accessible en texte intégral pour les personnes inscrites aux enseignements de la Professeure Marie-Anne Frison-Roche

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► Full Reference: A. Nicollet, "La charge du devoir de vigilance sur les entreprises s'inscrivant dans les chaines de valeur(The burden of Vigilance Duty on companies in value chains​)", in M.-A. Frison-Roche (ed.), L'Obligation de Compliance, Journal of Regulation & Compliance (JoRC) and Dalloz, coll. "Régulations & Compliance", 2025, to be published.

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📕read a general presentation of the book, L'Obligation de Compliance, in which this article is published 

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► English summary of this contribution : This article identifies the factors that lead to companies being held liable under the Vigilance Duty for which they are responsible. The first element is the notion of "chain", a new concept for the Law that has been incorporated into the legal system (I). This may be explicit or implicit, referring to the value chain, the activity chain or the supply chain. These vocabulary variations, depending on the texts and national laws, are aimed at cases where there is no overlap, but the duty of vigilance is transparently aimed at the value chain of which the others are part. The concept of the "chain" could therefore play an increasingly important role in Economic Law, in that it is its very existence that gives rise to a duty of vigilance on the part of the company that governs the structure of the chain.

The second part of the article shows that this Vigilance Duty places a shared burden on the companies in the chain. Indeed, while the company that is the master, either through corporate techniques or because it governs the structure of the chain more factually, must always fulfill this obligation, the companies along the chain cannot be relieved of it. The burden is cumulative, as stated in German legal system, but this principle should be generalised: performance may be joint, articulated, and performance by one may presume performance by the other, the obligation of the other may be performed by the other, but this does not amount to exemption. This concept allows for a global group policy without destroying the effectiveness of the Compliance Obligation.

Indeed, and this is the third part of the article, Liability is cumulative. The master company's liability is personal and it must not be able to shirk it. The companies in the value chain, while benefiting from a presumption of conformity by the very fact of the chain phenomenon and the multiple contracts and corporate shareholdings that structure it, are also liable if they fail in their Duty of Vigilance. National legislation varies widely in terms of the extent of liability incurred, with some not addressing the issue at all while others go into great detail, but they are not intended to call this principle into question.

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► Référence complète : M.-A. Frison-Roche,  «Les juristes ont le pouvoir et le devoir de dire Non à Trump  » », interview réalisée par Olivia Dufour pour Actu-juridique, Lextenso, 19 février 2025

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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 : La tension monte entre Donald Trump et la justice américaine. Alors que le président a demandé la destitution d’un juge qui avait prononcé la suspension d’une expulsion de migrants, le président de la Cour Suprême a rappelé mardi dans un communiqué qu’il existait une procédure d’appel quand on n’était pas satisfait d’une décision de justice. Donald Trump s’en prend aussi aux avocats. Face à cet exécutif apparemment tout-puissant, les juristes ont-ils suffisamment de pouvoir pour faire respecter l’État de droit ? Oui, estime le professeur Marie-Anne Frison-Roche. 

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Q. Depuis son entrée en fonctions, Donald Trump se positionne au-dessus du droit dans un pays qui pourtant accorde à celui-ci un pouvoir déterminant. Les juristes sont-ils en capacité de résister  ?

Résumé de la réponse de MAFR : El

Q. De quels outils disposent-ils ?

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : l'

Q. Les juges peuvent bien invalider les décisions de l'exécutif, c'est celui-ci qui finalement les exécute. Ou pas. N'est-ce pas une limite insurmontable au contrepouvoir des juges ? 

Résumé de la réponse MAFR : Le

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► Référence complète : C. Letoublon, "Responsabilité sociale et environnementale des entreprises multinationales : le devoir de diligence et la protection de l’environnement",  L. Boisson de Chazournes dir.), L’Effectivité du droit international face à l’urgence écologique, Collège de France, 2024, pp. 127-146.

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📝cet article est en libre accès : lire l'article

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