The French Consultative Assembly today approved a bill providing for a “speedy referee procedure” for the restitution to Jewish owners of property lost through German or Vichy anti-Jewish legislation. The bill constitutes a combination of the drafts of the restitution laws submitted by the French Government and by the French Socialist Party. It recommends:
1. All confiscations, as well as sales of property made by Jews under duress, are to be considered void.
2. Legitimate profits from confiscated Jewish enterprises are to be refunded to the owners. Illegitimate profits are to be confiscated by the state.
3. All sales of Jewish property allegedly made with the consent of the owners are to be considered as having been made under duress, unless the buyer produces evidence to the contrary.
4. Damage caused by an absent or insolvent buyer of Jewish property is to be paid by the state under the rules applied to war damages.
5. The former Jewish owners have the choice of bringing their cases either before a sivil court, or before a commercial court, which acts more rapidly. It is to either of these courts that the rightful owners must apply for both amulment of commulsory sales of property and for restitution of property.
6. All cases are to be studied by the state prosecutor for evontual criminal action against those who acquired Jewish property. All bankruptoy cases affecting Jewish firms which were decided under the Vichy regime are to be reviewed.
The combined bill is considered an improvement over the government draft and enbedies part of the suggestions voiced by the Representative Council of French Jews. Its speedy promulgation is anticipated.
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