MORICE v. FRANCE JUDGMENT 31 104. Lastly, the applicant submitted that the sanction imposed had been particularly disproportionate. The criminal sanction had consisted of a fine of EUR 4,000, which was higher than the fine imposed on the journalist and director of Le Monde (respectively EUR 3,000 and EUR 1,500). In the civil part of the judgment, in addition to the sums awarded to cover the costs of Judges M. and L.L., he had been ordered to pay, jointly with his codefendants, EUR 7,500 in damages to each of the two judges. Lastly, the publication of a notice in Le Monde, with a fine of EUR 500 per day in the event of delay, had been ordered. He submitted that such sanctions were unjustified and disproportionate and that they would inevitably have a significant and regrettable chilling effect on all lawyers. 2. The Government 105. The Government did not deny that the applicant’s conviction constituted an interference with the exercise of his right to freedom of expression. They took the view, however, that this interference was prescribed by law, since its legal basis lay in section 23 and sections 29 et seq. of the Act of 29 July 1881, and that it pursued a legitimate aim. On that latter point they argued that it sought to maintain the authority and impartiality of the judiciary, and to ensure the protection of the reputation or rights of others, since the statements had been directed at judges in the exercise of their duties and also undermined the confidence of citizens in the judiciary. 106. As to whether the interference was necessary in a democratic society, the Government were of the view that there was a fundamental difference between lawyers and journalists because of the former’s position as officers of the court (auxiliaires de justice). They occupied a central position as intermediaries between the public and the courts and their activities helped to ensure that justice was administered effectively and dispassionately. A balance had to be struck between the legitimate aim of informing the public about matters of general interest, including issues relating to the functioning of the justice system, and the requirements stemming from the proper administration of justice, on the one hand, and the dignity of the legal profession and the reputation of the judiciary, on the other. 107. The Government noted two different situations in the Court’s caselaw on freedom of expression: the participation of lawyers in debates on matters of general interest unrelated to any pending proceedings, where freedom of expression was particularly broad; and statements made by lawyers in their role of defending clients, where they had a wide freedom of expression in the courtroom. That freedom of expression in defending a client in pending proceedings did have certain limits, however, in order to preserve judicial authority, such as, for example, where the lawyer made statements critical of the justice system before even using the legal remedies