The French Community is recruiting a legal expert for the A…

The Ministry of the French Community has launched a call for applications to fill a legal expert mandate within the Appeals Commission for Young People Deprived of Liberty (CdR). The notice is published in the Belgian Official Gazette (Moniteur belge) of September 25, 2026, under reference C − 2026/006873, on pages 51541 to 51545. Applications must be submitted within 20 working days starting from the day following the date of publication in the Belgian Official Gazette.

The CdR is an independent external appeals body established by the decree of the Government of the French Community of April 3, 2019. Its legal basis is derived from Article 90 of the decree of January 18, 2018, establishing the Code of Prevention, Youth Aid, and Youth Protection, and Article 139 of the decree of March 14, 2019, relating to the care in Community Centers of young people who have been subject to a divestment of jurisdiction.

Its missions are as follows:

to rule as a court of last resort on the external appeal filed by the young person or their lawyer against a decision of the managing official or their delegate;
to rule on the external appeal filed against a transfer decision referred to in Article 3 or Article 142 of the decree of March 14, 2019;
to establish an annual activity report addressed to Parliament and the Government.

Composition and Required Profile

The CdR is chaired by an active member of the seated judiciary with experience in youth protection. It consists of three active members, each with a substitute:

an active member of the seated judiciary experienced in youth protection;
a legal expert;
a criminologist.

The call specifies that the Commission is seeking a legal expert to complete its team. The secretariat is handled by an official from the Directorate for the Supervision and Control of Centers for Young People Deprived of Liberty, within the general secretariat of the Ministry of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.

Conditions, Incompatibilities, and Application

Candidates must meet several conditions:

possess a criminal record free of convictions for a felony or misdemeanor;
hold a long-cycle higher education degree (Master’s or License) in law or criminology, or a recognized equivalent;
demonstrate knowledge or experience regarding the issues of deprivation of liberty or youth protection;
provide guarantees of independence.

Incompatible with the status of member are, in particular, the positions of European Commissioner, member of a federal, regional or community government, provincial governor or deputy, member of a college of the mayor and aldermen, member of parliament, provincial, municipal or social action councillor, as well as the status of an agent of the Government services or a member of a public service referred to in the decrees of 2018 and 2019.

The application, to be sent by email to cej_dscc@cfwb.be, must include a statement of motivation, a curriculum vitae, proof of competence or professional experience, a criminal record extract dating back a maximum of one month, a copy of the required diploma and, if applicable, its equivalence, as well as a sworn statement regarding exclusions and incompatibilities. The selection process is conducted solely in writing.

Four-step selection process

Step 1: the secretariat organizes the call, receives the applications, verifies their completeness and indicates whether they are admissible.
Step 2: the secretariat forwards the list to the Government, which chooses two candidates for one of the effective mandates other than that of the president and two candidates for a substitute mandate, either for the legal expert mandate or for that of the criminologist.
Step 3: the jury evaluates the competence and experience of the candidates based on the application and the curriculum vitae, may interview the candidates and submits a report to Parliament selecting three effective members and three substitute members.
Step 4: after reading the report, Parliament appoints the members by a two-thirds majority.

Mandate and allowances

Members are appointed for six years, with a mandate renewable once. They are covered by civil liability, personal accident, and legal protection insurance. They receive a flat-rate allowance per half-day of participation in the work of the CdR as well as the travel allowance provided for by Article 15 of the decree of April 3, 2019, these allowances being indexed. They also participate in practice exchange and evaluation work.

Scope of the call

This recruitment directly affects the functioning of the external appeal open to young people deprived of liberty and their lawyers, as the CdR rules in the last resort on placement and transfer decisions. Candidates have 20 working days from September 26, 2026, to submit a complete application, with the final appointment being the responsibility of the Parliament of the French Community by a two-thirds majority.

Source: Belgian Official Gazette of September 25, 2026, notice C − 2026/006873, p. 51541-51545.