On 8 October 2025, the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, paid tribute to the life, work, commitment, and legacy of Robert Badinter during his closing remarks at a study day entitled Robert Badinter, a scholar and lawyer, heir to the Enlightenment, organised by Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University.

“Through his exceptional path, through his life's work, Robert Badinter expressed humanity with a brilliance that still enlightens us today. A man of words, a man of borders—those that unite rather than divide—a man of universal values, Robert Badinter was above all a committed man, a champion of humanism,” said the President of the Court during his remarks.

Highlighting the role Robert Badinter played in successfully advancing the cause of the abolition of the death penalty at the European level, as evidenced by the adoption of Protocol No. 13 in 2002, President Guyomar added that he was also the “architect” of France’s recognition of the right of individual petition.

The Court President also referenced Robert Badinter’s conviction that the protection of human rights is a necessity, adding that all of Badinter’s work rests on his unwavering belief in the universal nature of human rights—a belief that cannot be denied “without denying humanity itself.”

“This is the essence of his commitment, and the lesson we must carry forward,” stressed the Court President, adding that we are the clear-sighted and faithful heirs, and the guardians of the values and ideals that Robert Badinter tirelessly embodied.

On 9 October, the anniversary of the enactment of the law abolishing the death penalty, Robert Badinter was inducted into the Panthéon.

• Speech by President Mattias Guyomar (in French only)