Lawyer since 2005 [1]it was under the artist name of Romie Célâme that she chose to devote herself to literature. A passion that has guided her since childhood and which, in the form of poems and texts, allows her to freely express her fragility, her doubts, her uncertainties, which she cannot necessarily do as a lawyer.
With her book “States of Soul at the Palais de Justice”, she shares in a unique and human way these courtroom scenes and these stories – often moving – which make up her professional daily life. As she writes, “The courthouse is not a place like any other; men, women and children are taken there to be heard or sentenced.“It is a place where all feelings are expressed – anger, shame, fear, doubt, humility, revenge, guilt, kindness, courage… – feelings from which we sometimes cannot defend ourselves, no matter how professional we are in the law.
It is through these feelings, which each of us can feel, that she wishes to tell these fragments of life that she encountered, which touched her and which depict so well the reality of a day in a courthouse.
In turn, the book places us in the position of the victim, the accused, the judge, the lawyer, the clerk, the witness, the palace guard, the cleaning lady, etc. and helps us understand life in these places where violence, suffering and hope coexist, where Justice is rendered. And tirelessly, Aurélie Roques, the actors of the law, the litigants go there so that Justice remains.
The Editor’s interview with Romie Célâme…
What were the motivations for writing this book?
“I have been a lawyer since 2005 and I wanted and “need” to write about the feelings of people who gravitate towards the courthouse. There are so many stories that intersect and intertwine and deserve to be told. Above all, I wanted to pay tribute to the litigants who often enter and leave the court with a lot of emotion. The court sometimes resembles a theater, but the notable difference is that it is often very dark reality. There were no books highlighting the lives of those who are anonymous. »
Why did you choose to present your daily professional life in the form of briefs and by having other people, professionals besides you, “talk” about it?
“I get other people talking, because they are much more interesting than me and above all, because they have real things to say.
I also relate my experiences sometimes and I find myself a little or a lot in certain characters.
Using the first person is therefore best suited to responding to an emergency, when emotion is running high. »
If I had to choose just one, what is the strong point of your book? Why do you think you should read it?
“The strong point would be that no book, until now, written on the theme of justice, relates what is really happening from the inside. Many books are written to relate either news items or highlight the authors. I wanted neither.
This book allows professionals (clerks, lawyers, magistrates) to find themselves in certain characters, and for people who want to know the legal environment a little better to be immersed in it in a way that they cannot control. »
What is your professional and personal view of Justice?
“The legal profession is a vocation. It responds to an internal emergency: that of changing things, restoring balance in the face of damaged justice. 20 years ago, it already was. Today, it is more than urgent to restore it before it collapses. The lack of resources is becoming serious and dangerous. However, if I continue on the path, it is because I still believe in some miracles. And that’s what’s holding me back. »
Technical information:
Title: States of mind at the Palace of Justice;
Author: Romie Célâme (author name);
Publisher: The Blue Lily;
ISBN : 979-1042292065 ;
Price: 19.90 euros;
Number of pages: 195 pages;
Publication: November 2025.
