Legal protection of adults: ambitious reform, failed implementation

Public action which is neither embodied nor sufficient: this is the observation made by the Court of Auditors at the end of its audit of the legal protection of adults, carried out at the request of the Finance Committee of the National Assembly. Almost ten years after the entry into force of a law designed to adapt this regime to make it more respectful of people’s rights, the Court believes that this hope has been disappointed. The number of curatories and guardianships grew faster than before the reform and social accompaniment did not find its place in the overall system. 700,000 people would now be placed under the protection of the public community. In view of this heavy responsibility, the means used appear to be weak and the organisation of the system is inefficient. The Court believes that state services and departments should better measure their responsibilities towards vulnerable adults, who deserve genuine public policy. It makes nine recommendations. This report is available on [the Court’s website] (https://www.ccomptes.fr/fr/publications/la-protection-juridique-des-majeurs-une-reforme-ambitieuse-une-mise-en-oeuvre). The published files correspond to the data used in the preparation of the report.