Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté

Summary

The CGLPL is France's independent ombudsman for all places of deprivation of liberty, created by Loi n° 2007-1545 of 30 October 2007 to fulfil France's obligations under the OPCAT Optional Protocol. The Contrôleur général is appointed by the President of the Republic for a single non-renewable 6-year term and is irremovable during that term; they may not receive instructions from any authority. The CGLPL has the right to visit, unannounced and at any time, any place of deprivation of liberty in France, with full access to premises, records, and persons detained. It issues advisory recommendations (not binding orders) to the government and may publish a special report in the Journal officiel if its recommendations are not followed. Annual activity reports are submitted to Parliament and published. The CGLPL has no power to discipline staff or investigate individual use-of-force incidents as a fact-finding body; it refers such matters to the Défenseur des droits or the procurator. As a single independent appointee, its composition is effectively civilian.