16

In France, the National Court of Asylum (CNDA) is the jurisdiction competent to make decisions relating to appeals made by asylum-seekers, including those whose initial demand has been rejected by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA). Based on interviews, a statistical study of the asylum judges’ profiles, and the lived experience from this jurisdiction, this article proposes an original approach to those judges who adhere to the ideals of the Geneva Convention. Being a CNDA asylum judge implies being able to estimate the veracity and credibility of the claimant’s story and personal history. Who are these assessor judges? What are the criteria for choosing them? Based on an original survey, this article finally leads us to understand who is judging the asylum claims and how.