Moderator: Thomas Legrand
With Céline Roux (deputy to the Défenseure des droits, in charge of security ethics) and Raphaël Kempf (lawyer)
With the participation of Mireille Jacotin, Head Curator of Heritage, in charge of the Public Life Department at Mucem.
Are we witnessing the end of a cycle of “free” democracies around the world? Rising nationalism, illiberal governments, attacks on basic freedoms… in the face of the multiple assaults to which these regimes are subjected, are the rule of law and justice sufficiently effective and protective bulwarks? How can they stand up when populists see them as ready-made obstacles to the will of the people?
Biographies
Thomas Legrand - journalist, political columnist
Thomas Legrand is a journalist and political columnist. He writes a daily column for
Libération . He is the author of two documentary podcast series: À la hussarde on the great moments of the 2017 presidential election and De Gaulle 2020. His publications include: Shadow feathers. The negroes of politicians (with Emmanuel Faux and Gilles Perez, 1991), Petit dictionnaire énervé de la politique (2010), Ce n’est rien qu’un président qui nous fait perdre du temps (2010), J’aurais voulu faire président (with Philippe Bercovici, 2011), Arrêtons d’élire des présidents! (2014), Chronique de l’imprévu (2017), L’histoire de laVe République en BD (2018, with François Warzala), Les Évasions perdues, Stablack, l’université de la collaboration (2024, with François Warzala).Raphaël Kempf - Lawyer
A lawyer at the Paris bar, Raphaël Kempf has been defending arrested or imprisoned protesters and activists who are victims of state repression for several years. In addition to his day-to-day work in courts, police stations and prisons, he has published Ennemis d’État (La Fabrique, 2019) and numerous articles in Le Monde diplomatique, Jef Klak and Délibérée.
Céline Roux - Deputy to the Défenseure des droits, in charge of ethics in the field of security
A judicial magistrate, Céline Roux has held positions in a variety of jurisdictions, including the Paris and Meaux courts, the Conseil d’État and the Cour nationale du droit d’asile. She has worked on a wide variety of cases, in private, civil and criminal law, as well as in public law.
She has also held administrative positions in the Ministry of Justice, then in the Government Department, first as advisor to a Minister of Justice and, most recently, in the General Secretariat of the Government, where she was responsible for coordinating the drafting of all legislation for the Ministry of Justice.
Since January 1, 2024, Céline Roux has been deputy to the Défenseure des droits, and vice-president of the college in charge of compliance with professional ethics in the field of security.
Moderator: Thomas Legrand
With Céline Roux (deputy to the Défenseure des droits, in charge of security ethics) and Raphaël Kempf (lawyer)
With the participation of Mireille Jacotin, Head Curator of Heritage, in charge of the Public Life Department at Mucem.
Are we witnessing the end of a cycle of “free” democracies around the world? Rising nationalism, illiberal governments, attacks on basic freedoms… in the face of the multiple assaults to which these regimes are subjected, are the rule of law and justice sufficiently effective and protective bulwarks? How can they stand up when populists see them as ready-made obstacles to the will of the people?
Biographies
Thomas Legrand - journalist, political columnist
Thomas Legrand is a journalist and political columnist. He writes a daily column for
Libération . He is the author of two documentary podcast series: À la hussarde on the great moments of the 2017 presidential election and De Gaulle 2020. His publications include: Shadow feathers. The negroes of politicians (with Emmanuel Faux and Gilles Perez, 1991), Petit dictionnaire énervé de la politique (2010), Ce n’est rien qu’un président qui nous fait perdre du temps (2010), J’aurais voulu faire président (with Philippe Bercovici, 2011), Arrêtons d’élire des présidents! (2014), Chronique de l’imprévu (2017), L’histoire de laVe République en BD (2018, with François Warzala), Les Évasions perdues, Stablack, l’université de la collaboration (2024, with François Warzala).Raphaël Kempf - Lawyer
A lawyer at the Paris bar, Raphaël Kempf has been defending arrested or imprisoned protesters and activists who are victims of state repression for several years. In addition to his day-to-day work in courts, police stations and prisons, he has published Ennemis d’État (La Fabrique, 2019) and numerous articles in Le Monde diplomatique, Jef Klak and Délibérée.
Céline Roux - Deputy to the Défenseure des droits, in charge of ethics in the field of security
A judicial magistrate, Céline Roux has held positions in a variety of jurisdictions, including the Paris and Meaux courts, the Conseil d’État and the Cour nationale du droit d’asile. She has worked on a wide variety of cases, in private, civil and criminal law, as well as in public law.
She has also held administrative positions in the Ministry of Justice, then in the Government Department, first as advisor to a Minister of Justice and, most recently, in the General Secretariat of the Government, where she was responsible for coordinating the drafting of all legislation for the Ministry of Justice.
Since January 1, 2024, Céline Roux has been deputy to the Défenseure des droits, and vice-president of the college in charge of compliance with professional ethics in the field of security.
Related activities or events
View full agenda- Free of charge
The Inquiry Commission
Les procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
The Commission of Inquiry is a workshop for reflection and discussion open to all, during which participants play at thinking, putting points of view into dialogue and embodying different experiences.
For half a day, participants take up the subject of the next Trial of the Century and learn together how to develop arguments and testimonies, some of which can be put on the stand and debated at the next Trial of the Century. Between the art of persuasion and theater, the Commission of Inquiry brings a civil counterpoint to debates, because the issues of our world are everyone’s business. A proposal led, depending on the dates, by Grégoire Ingold (director) and Fabienne Jullien (actress)...Until Saturday, Mar 14, 2026
at 14h
Fort Saint-Jean / MucemLab
- Free of charge
Does this world drive you crazy?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Paloma Moritz With Mathieu Bellahsen (psychiatrist and author, whistleblower) and Nelly Pons (author)
With the participation of Anna Millers, heritage curator in charge of the Techniques, practices and narratives of the body section at Mucem. Mega-fires, floods, cyclones, droughts. Populism, wars, terrorist attacks. Burn-out, depression, addiction, eco-anxiety. The news of our world resonates painfully. What about the links between an exhausted world, under stress, and our mental health? How do we maintain them? How can we resist and feel well in a world that is faltering and exhausted? ...On Monday, Nov 17, 2025
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Are all men guilty?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Rokhaya Diallo With Giulia Foïs (journalist) and Corentin Legras (doctoral student in anthropology)
With the participation of Caroline Chenu, in charge of research and collections at Mucem. “Not all men”? And yet. There are a great many of them, and they bear a striking resemblance to the men we are and those around us. This is what the Mazan trial, among others, has brought to light, and the many debates it has raised about society’s collective responsibility. So, how can we continue to fight against this dynamic of violence which seems to be a system in our patriarchal...On Monday, Nov 24, 2025
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Welcome to science fiction
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: François Saltiel With Catherine Dufour (computer scientist and writer) and Yannick Rumpala (lecturer in political science at Université Nice Côte d'Azur)
With the participation of Elise Vanriest-Dabek, heritage curator, head of the Collections and Documentary Resources Department at Mucem. Dystopia, devastated planet, search for planet B, societies under generalized surveillance. Green utopia, women in power, self-management, sobriety. Science-fiction stories feed our imaginations and help us to project ourselves. Prophecy, outlet or cry of alarm? Catastrophism or optimism? What science fiction do we need today to envision tomorrow? After...On Monday, Dec 1, 2025
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Overseas: relegated territories, sacrificed territories?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Nora Hamadi With Malcom Ferdinand (environmental engineer) and Benoît Trépied (anthropologist)
With the participation of Françoise Dallemagne, in charge of research and collections at Mucem. Environmental scandals, high living costs, struggles for autonomy: the French overseas territories are facing a host of challenges in which the weight of the past and colonial logics still weigh heavily. Between tourist postcard clichés and uncontrolled lawless zones, how can these territories find their rightful place, specific and singular, far from these stereotyped and instrumentalized images?...On Monday, Dec 15, 2025
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Science alert
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: François Saltiel With David Chavalarias (mathematician and writer) and Valérie Masson-Delmotte (climatologist, research director at CEA)
With the participation of Enguerrand Lascols, heritage curator, head of the Domestic Life department at Mucem. Withdrawal of funding, redundancies, censorship of data: in the United States, certain areas of research and science are in such peril that they are referred to as an “anti-science crusade”. At the same time, conspiracy theories and fake news are fuelling mistrust of proven scientific truths. Faced with the danger of new obscurantisms and threats to scientific...On Monday, Jan 5, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
And what about the children?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Rokhaya Diallo With : Cécile Cée (artist, author) and Lyes Louffok (socio-educational assistant and child protection referent at Assistance publique des hôpitaux de Paris, lawyer, children's rights activist)
With the participation of Cléo Arnod, heritage curator in charge of the Clothing, Costume and Textile Department at Mucem. Incest, child abuse, rape, violence in the family and educational spheres. Children’s social welfare is running out of steam. Does our society really protect children? Does it allow them to develop into individuals who respect others and the world around them? The cases and scandals that are now surfacing after decades of silence are revealing dysfunctions and...On Monday, Jan 12, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Working better to win together
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Nora Hamadi With Nicolas Framont (sociologist, founder and editor-in-chief of Frustration Magazine) and Pauline Rochart (independent consultant, author)
With the participation of Mireille Jacotin, Head Curator of Heritage, in charge of the Public Life Department at Mucem. Pension reform, uberization, malaise at work, loss of meaning, youth and senior unemployment: do we need to rethink the world of work and the time we devote to it? Between union mobilizations, legal reforms and social utopias, is the world of work a space we can reclaim together? After the meeting, join us for a signing session at the Mucem Librairie-boutique.On Monday, Jan 19, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Intimate news
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Naya Ali With Marie Bergström (sociologist and researcher at Ined)
With the participation of Anna Millers, heritage curator in charge of the Techniques, practices and narratives of the body section at Mucem. How are new trends in our emotional and sexual lives shaping tomorrow’s society? More politicized than ever, intimacy is being shaped by new norms. Less committed, more fluid, more numerous or later: where do our intimacies stand, and how should we view them? This session looks back at two major studies published recently: ” Contexte des...On Monday, Jan 26, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Trust me... how do you find your way through the information chaos?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: François Saltiel With Olivier Legrain (businessman) and Bruno Patino (journalist, Chairman of ARTE)
With the participation of Mireille Jacotin, Head Curator of Heritage, in charge of the Public Life Department at Mucem. Information is pouring in from all sides, sometimes non-stop, sometimes in-depth, sometimes hot off the press. Buying, selling, shareholding… the media are increasingly losing their independence from economic and political power. So, who can we trust in terms of investigative work and sources, and how can we spot fake news? How can we (re)create engaged and free media...On Monday, Feb 2, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
We've made the most of it, and now what's the plan?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderated by Thomas Legrand With Céline Marty (philosopher) and Cédric Durand (economist)
With the participation of Enguerrand Lascols, heritage curator, head of the Domestic Life department at Mucem. In a world that is becoming increasingly uninhabitable by the day, how and to what extent can we change our model? It’s time to make up our minds. Planning, bifurcation, transition, green growth, degrowth, sobriety: what exactly do these terms mean, and what changes do they suggest for the future?On Monday, Feb 9, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
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Anti-racist, feminist and writer Maryse Condé's legacy
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Rokhaya Diallo With Alice Diop (director) and Felisa Vergara Reynolds (professor of French literature, University of Illinois)
With the participation of Caroline Chenu, in charge of research and collections at Mucem. On the occasion of the anniversary of her birth and almost 2 years after her death, Les Procès du siècle revisits the figure of Maryse Condé, with whom the Mucem had the honor of building the event “Les amitiés de Maryse Condé” in November 2022. In her works, the woman who discovered racism when she arrived in Paris to study, after growing up in Pointe-à-Pitre, has never ceased to tell of...On Monday, Feb 16, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Are there any good lobbies?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Nora Hamadi With Alberto Alemanno (lawyer, law professor, founder of The Good Lobby) and Lucie Pinson (activist, founder of the NGO Reclaim Finance)
With the participation of Mireille Jacotin, Head Curator of Heritage, in charge of the Public Life Department at Mucem. There are said to be 2,462 lobbyists in France according to the number registered in the directory of the Haute Autorité pour la Transparence de la Vie Publique (HATVP) as required by the Sapin II law since 2016. But what’s behind this figure? Are these interest groups threatening or virtuous for democratic debate? The game of influence goes on in political corridors,...On Monday, Feb 23, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Go straight to prison! Punish or repair?
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderated by Thomas Legrand
With the participation of Claire Dufour, documentation officer at Mucem. What if justice were more focused on prevention and care? How far can it go to make amends? Restorative justice, which aims to bring victims and perpetrators together in a confidential and secure setting, is one of the methods now being proposed to better support the former in their reconstruction and the latter in their empowerment and reintegration… And to go a step further, can we imagine a society without...On Monday, Mar 2, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
Video games: towards new imaginary worlds
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: François Saltiel With Fanny Lignon (lecturer in information and communication sciences) and Jennifer Lufau (video game player, marketing consultant for independent creators, founder of the Afrogameuses association)
With the participation of Elise Vanriest-Dabek, heritage curator, responsible for the Collections and Documentary Resources Department at Mucem After being accused of conveying screen addiction, propaganda of warlike values, violence, frustration, disconnection from reality or disengagement, video games are now plagued by masculinism, racism, sexism, cyberstalking and infiltrated radicalization… And yet, gaming culture is also the place where all things are possible, and its great...On Monday, Mar 9, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
- Free of charge
For the right to party!
Les Procès du siècle - Which way to the future?
Moderator: Nora Hamadi
With the participation ofHélia Pauknerheritage curator, head of the Contemporary Art department at Mucemand/or Aude Fanlo, responsible for the Research and Teaching Department at Mucem. For the last session of the season, Les Procès du siècle propose to seriously consider the right to celebrate. And why not even a duty to celebrate? An antidote to widespread depression, of course, but also a playground of freedom that teaches us to look beyond social, identity and sexual norms. Far from...On Monday, Mar 16, 2026
at 19h
J4 / Auditorium
Related highlight
The trials of the century podcast
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Les Procès du siècle — Oser l'utopie
Cette quatrième saison des Procès du siècle propose d’explorer les utopies concrètes et réelles, les nouveaux modèles à inventer pour avancer vers plus de démocratie, plus d’écologie, plus de solidarité.
Pour vivre mieux, ensemble.
Cette saison 4 parlera d’éducation, de soin, de numérique, d’économie, d’architecture, d’agriculture, de circulations, de respect, de consentement, d’intelligence artificielle, des arbres et des oiseaux. Nous essaierons même parfois d’en rire.
Les Procès du siècle — Luttes en partage
La saison 3 des Procès du siècle en podcast
Une série de rencontres imaginée et produite par le Mucem en collaboration avec Grégoire Ingold.
Un podcast produit et réalisé par Copie Carbone et illustré par Benoît Guillaume
Les procès du siècle — Féminismes, genres, minorités.
Une série de rencontres imaginée et produite par le Mucem.
Réunissant témoins, spécialistes et pièces à conviction, Les Procès du siècle ouvrent un espace d’échanges citoyens.
Après une première saison consacrée aux questions environnementales, cette deuxième saison est dédiée aux minorités dominées, et à leurs manières de s’exprimer, de résister, de revendiquer leurs droits.
Le Procès du siècle, délibérations citoyennes !
Comment parler des bouleversements récents qui touchent nos vies, nos sociétés, notre environnement ? Que disent-ils de notre rapport au temps et à l’espace ? Comment nous situons-nous aujourd’hui au cœur du monde et du vivant ? Quelles mutations, quelles révolutions sont à espérer ou à craindre ?
Le Procès du siècle appelle à la barre plaignants, accusés, témoins et avocats. Il en appelle avant tout à ses jurés, les citoyens.
