Marine Le Pen verdict raises tricky questions about justice and democracy

‘By fraudulently funding the National Rally, Le Pen and her colleagues were able to grow its base and support, thereby changing the political landscape in France.’ Photograph: Michel Euler/AP

While I abhor the politics of Marine Le Pen, I believe the recent decision by the French judiciary to bar her from running for public office for five years raises important and uncomfortable questions about the relationship between justice and democracy (Report, 31 March).

The idea that someone convicted of serious offences may be unfit for high office is entirely reasonable. But in this case, the use of relatively new legal powers – at a moment of high political consequence – risks appearing politically motivated, even if it isn’t. That perception matters. Democracies must defeat dangerous ideologies at the ballot box, not in the courtroom.