The thesis, focusing on the profession of huissier de justice, takes a threefold approach: the definition of an issue that raises questions about the context of public action in Belgium, a theoretical discussion to understand the relevant models, and a multi-faceted empirical analysis. The latter is made up of a two-pronged investigation based on questionnaires (for a longitudinal overview), observations from participants on the ground, semi-structured interviews and an analysis of official and internal documents. This has helped gain an understanding of the recent and current situation for huissiers, revealing a professional group that is under constant strain between market and state regulation. In addition, the state has never expressed any interest in modifying the status of this profession, preferring instead to engage in occasional, in-depth and haphazard negotiations. Over the years, the scope of the role has reduced, as have the methods available to the people who exercise it. The profession fluctuates between the economic role of recovering debts, the social role involved in mediation, and the legal role required by the tasks (including in particular some that involve coercion) laid down by the justice system. As the role of huissier is fairly vague, and often regarded as a bit of a dirty job, the people who carry out this profession are questioning its purpose and its future, as well as how they should act towards their competitors and the powers that be (in other words, politicians). ; La thèse, relative à la profession d’huissier de justice, repose sur une triple approche : la définition d’une problématique qui interroge le contexte de l’action publique en Belgique, un travail de discussion théorique pour saisir les modèles pertinents qui s’y rapportent, ainsi qu’une démarche empirique multiple. Cette dernière se compose d’une double enquête par questionnaires (pour une visée longitudinale), d’observations participantes du terrain, d’entretiens semi-directifs ainsi que de l’analyse de documents ...