The Court of Appeal confirms the contempt of court, but sentences the lawyer André Lutgen to a fine of 1,000 euros instead of 2,000. (Photo: Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne/archives)

The Court of Appeal confirms the contempt of court, but sentences the lawyer André Lutgen to a fine of 1,000 euros instead of 2,000. (Photo: Romain Gamba/Maison Moderne/archives)

The Court of Appeal confirms Luxembourg lawyer André Lutgen's conviction for contempt of court, but reduces his fine to €1,000 instead of €2,000 in the first instance. The lawyer will appeal to the Supreme Court.

The lawyer was fined for contempt of court.

It all started with an email. On 27 May 2019, a worker died of electrocution at the ArcelorMittal plant in Differdange. As required by the procedure, the investigating judge in charge of the case had the main circuit breaker of the site and the electrical cabinet in which the employee died, sealed, as an expertise was pending. This led to a slowdown in the factory's activity. Lutgen, the steel company's lawyer, then asked for the seals to be removed. After trying to contact the examining magistrate, he sent an e-mail directly to the state prosecutor and the justice and economy ministers. This was an "attempt at intimidation and contempt" said the investigating judge, Filipe Rodrigues, who then filed a complaint.

At the end of 2021, the lawyer was found guilty of contempt of court and sentenced to a fine of €2,000 by the Luxembourg court. However, he was acquitted of the offence of intimidation. Dissatisfied, the lawyer appealed.

The Court of Appeal has now fined him €1,000 for contempt of court. Lutgen' s lawyer, François Prum, confirms to Delano’s sister publication Paperjam that he has decided to appeal to the Supreme Court. If this fails, he could even go to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

This story was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.