26 MORICE v. FRANCE JUDGMENT connection with two judicial investigations in particularly high-profile cases: the Borrel case, in the context of which the applicant’s impugned remarks had been made, and the “Scientology” case, which had given rise to the remarks by J.M. It further notes, like the Chamber, that Judge M. was already conducting the investigation in the Borrel case, with its significant media coverage and political repercussions, when J.M. publicly expressed his support for her in the context of the “Scientology” case (see also paragraph 29 above). As emphasised by the Chamber, J.M. had then expressed his view in an official setting, at the general meeting of judges of the Paris tribunal de grande instance. 85. The Court further observes that the applicant, who in both cases was the lawyer acting for civil parties who criticised the work of Judge M., was subsequently convicted on the basis of a complaint by the latter: accordingly, the professional conflict took on the appearance of a personal conflict, as Judge M. had applied to the domestic courts seeking redress for damage stemming from an offence that she accused the applicant of having committed. 86. The Court would further emphasise, on that point, that the judgment of the Court of Appeal to which the case had been remitted itself expressly established a connection between the applicant’s remarks in the proceedings in question and the “Scientology” case, concluding that this suggested, on the part of the applicant, an “ex post facto settling of scores” and personal animosity towards Judge M., “with whom he had been in conflict in various cases” (see paragraph 50 above). 87. It was precisely that judgment of the Court of Appeal which the applicant appealed against on points of law and which was examined by the bench of the Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation on which Judge J.M. sat. The Court does not agree with the Government’s argument to the effect that this situation does not raise any difficulty, since an appeal on points of law is an extraordinary remedy and the review by the Court of Cassation is limited solely to the observance of the law. 88. In its case-law the Court has emphasised the crucial role of cassation proceedings, which form a special stage of the criminal proceedings with potentially decisive consequences for the accused, as in the present case, because if the case had been quashed it could have been remitted to a different court of appeal for a fresh examination of both the facts and the law. As the Court has stated on many occasions, Article 6 § 1 of the Convention does not compel the Contracting States to set up courts of appeal or of cassation, but a State which does institute such courts is required to ensure that persons having access to the law enjoy before such courts the fundamental guarantees in Article 6 (see, among other authorities, Delcourt v. Belgium, 17 January 1970, § 25, Series A no. 11; Omar v. France, 29 July 1998, § 41, Reports 1998-V; Guérin v. France, 29 July 1998, § 44, Reports 1998-V; and Louis v. France, no. 44301/02, § 27,