Délibérés

Délibérés is a plural form rooted in the legal and linguistic uses of the adjective and noun délibéré. In legal contexts, le délibéré designates the period during which judges or jurors retire to consider a case, weigh the evidence, and reach a verdict or decision. This phase is typically confidential, and the final judgment or sentence is delivered after the délibéré, sometimes accompanied by written motives or a reasoned arrêt. The standard plural for the sessions of deliberation is délibérations; the form délibérés is grammatically possible but far less common and usually refers to multiple deliberation occasions rather than the procedural concept itself.

As an adjective, délibéré describes actions conducted with intention and planning. Phrases such as un acte délibéré or crime délibéré are used to signal deliberate, premeditated conduct. In practice, however, modern criminal law often prefers terms like prémédité to denote premeditation, with délibéré conveying a sense of calculated deliberation or intentional design.

Etymology and related terms: délibérés derives from délibérer, itself from Latin deliberare, meaning to weigh options or contemplate. The related noun délibération and the adjective délibéré share the same root. In jurisprudence, the process and outcome of deliberation are framed within the broader vocabulary of délibération, motifs, and arrêt.

In summary, délibérés (and more commonly délibérations) refer to the deliberation phase in judicial proceedings, as well as to deliberate actions described by the adjective délibéré. The term is a standard element of French legal and linguistic usage, signaling contemplation, decision-making, and intentionality.