Identity checks are a central part of police and “gendarmerie” practice. The Defender of Rights referred the matter to the Court of Accounts, asking it to undertake an investigation of the conditions under which identity checks are carried out - a subject that is regularly questioned in public debate. In its referral, the Defender of Rights drew attention to the lack of traceability of identity checks, the inadequacy of the legal framework to protect against
discrimination (“racial profiling”) and the lack of effective control by the judicial authorities. The request focused in particular on the number of identity checks carried out and the qualitative analysis of these checks (legal basis, effects on delinquency, effects on the population, particularly in terms of confidence in law enforcement bodies). The Court of Accounts has taken these questions into account and analysed the role of these checks in the public safety strategy implemented by the internal security forces.
