Paris - A union representing French magistrates said Tuesday it had filed suit against Justice Minister Rachida Dati for "insulting a constitutional body," the online edition of the weekly Le Point reported.

The Union for Magistrates (USM) said the case had been handed to the public prosecutor of Paris.

The affair dates from May when Dati, during a public debate in Paris, referred to the entire body of judges as "very underhanded," according to a transcript published in the magazine Entreprendre.

Dati's ministry has denied she made the statement, but the magazine has stood by its version.

Dati is set to leave her post in the coming weeks to take a seat in the European Parliament, which she won in Sunday's EU election. (dpa)