Death of Roland Soulard, former president of the International Union of Judicial Officers.
We are sad to learn of the death of Roland Soulard on 10 June 2020. Son of Jean Soulard, who created the International Union of Judicial Officers and was its president from 1952 to 1967, Roland Soulard served as a judicial officer justice in Dijon (France), since 1966. His investment in France led him to manage the National School of Procedure of France from 1977 to 1989 and the National Centre for Professional Training of Judicial Officers from 1978 to 1989. He was president of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of France three times (1984-1985, 1988-1989 and 1996-1997). He was also editor-in-chief of the Review of judicial officers for many years.
Internationally, Roland Soulard followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming president of the International Union of Judicial Officers from 1985 to 1991. Brilliant speaker, with a keen sense of organisation, Roland Soulard contributed during his two mandates to develop the influence of the International Union of Judicial Officers. He made professional training one of his priorities, based on the idea that the profession can only be defended and promoted in national and international bodies if its members are properly trained. He, therefore, worked so that the International Union could help countries that did not have the means to provide training, particularly in French-speaking countries in Africa.
He also initiated the creation of a European directory of judicial officers. It was during the European Council of Stresa (Italy) in May 1990 that the International Union of Judicial Officers decided to strengthen the promotion of the profession of independent and liberal judicial officers. Roland Soulard has acted so that the International Union of Judicial Officers continues its development in all European countries and not just the member countries of the European Economic Community. Finally, he worked for closer contacts with international non-governmental organisations such as the Hague Conference on International Law. Two international congresses took place during his two terms: Monaco in 1988 and Brussels in 1991.
The international union of judicial officers and all the judicial officers of the world thank President Soulard for his actions and his investment in favor of the profession of judicial officer. We send our sincere condolences to his family and kinship.
