Discerning ageing in relation to the law? Debates on the legal framework of freedom of movement of the elderly in France between 2004 and 2015

In this article, we analyse the different stages of freedom of movement of the elderly debate as it has occurred in the French gerontological world over a ten-year period (2004-2015). We are particularly interested in regulatory actors in this domain and the questions they ask themselves: How can we frame the restriction on freedom of movement practices like those in nursing homes? Should there be specific legislation for seniors whose state of health appears to especially diminish their faculties? Do these impairments justify the development of specific legal statutes? Retracing the evolution of how legal figures and responses were questioned, and considering their contributions to the stages of debate, allows us, beyond the notion of freedom of movement, to highlight a broader issue: Ageing, in relation to the law.