French President's Immunity Widened PARIS (AP) -- In a move that could give France's president widespread immunity, the country's constitutional court has ruled that Jacques Chirac can't face criminal charges as long as he is president. The Constitutional Council, one of France's highest legal bodies, ruled Friday that the president cannot be brought to trial except in cases of treason. The decision follows months of debate on the question of presidential immunity, but may not provide a definitive answer. Constitutional scholars apparently disagreed on the ruling's importance, with one saying in Monday's edition of Le Monde that the Constitutional Council's decision could still be overruled by France's highest court, the Court of Cassation. Under the Fifth Republic formed by Charles de Gaulle, the French president enjoys extremely broad powers. Chirac has come under scrutiny for his role in an alleged employment scandal during his 1988-1993 tenure as mayor of Paris, and several close to him at the time are targets of a probe. The decision by the constitutional council came in a case unrelated to that scandal, but could affect it. A French judge is investigating allegations that some city hall employees under Chirac were actually working for the conservative Rally for the Republic party, which Chirac founded. Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe, also an RPR member, has been placed under formal investigation -- a step short of being charged -- for his alleged role in the employment scandal while he was finance director for the city of Paris. Michel Roussin, Chirac's former chief assistant while he was mayor, is also under investigation. A court in Versailles, south of Paris, will announce Tuesday whether it will pursue charges against Juppe, officials said.
