Cases
1971 Freedom of Association Decision: Birth of French Constitutional Review
The Freedom of Association decision (Décision Liberté d’association, no. 71-44 DC), rendered by the Constitutional Council on 16 July 1971, is the single most important decision in French …
1971 Freedom of Association Decision: Constitutional Principles
The 1971 Freedom of Association decision (Décision Liberté d’association, no. 71-44 DC), rendered by the Constitutional Council on 16 July 1971, is one of the most important decisions in French …
Affaire du Sang Contaminé: State Responsibility and Public Health Scandal
The Contaminated Blood Affair (Affaire du Sang Contaminé) is one of the most serious public health scandals in modern French history. Between 1984 and 1985, the state-run blood transfusion service …
Arrêt Arrighi (1936): Theory of Loi-Écran
The Arrêt Arrighi, decided by the Conseil d’État on 6 November 1936, is the foundational decision on the théorie de la loi-écran (statute-screen theory). The case established that administrative …
Arrêt Benjamin (1933): Freedom of Assembly and Police Powers
The Arrêt Benjamin, decided by the Conseil d’État on 19 May 1933, is a landmark decision on the limits of police powers in relation to freedom of assembly. The case established that police …
Arrêt Blanco (1873): Birth of French Administrative Law
The Arrêt Blanco, rendered by the Tribunal des Conflits on 8 February 1873, is the foundational decision of French administrative law. It established that the liability of the state for harm caused by …
Arrêt Blanco (1873): Foundational Administrative Law Case
The Arrêt Blanco, decided by the Tribunal des Conflits on 8 February 1873, is the foundational case of French administrative law. It established the autonomy of administrative law (droit …
Arrêt Cadot (1889): End of Minister-Judge Doctrine
The Arrêt Cadot, decided by the Conseil d’État on 13 December 1889, is a landmark decision that ended the théorie du ministre-juge (minister-judge doctrine) and established the Conseil …
Arrêt Dame Lamotte (1950): Recours pour Excès de Pouvoir as General Principle
The Arrêt Dame Lamotte, decided by the Conseil d’État on 17 February 1950, is a landmark decision establishing the recours pour excès de pouvoir (action for abuse of power) as a principe général …
Arrêt Dame veuve Kazi (1951): Revisability of Administrative Acts
The Arrêt Dame veuve Kazi, decided by the Conseil d’État on 19 October 1951, is a landmark decision on the revisability of administrative acts and the independent liability of public works …
Arrêt Dehaene (1950): Right to Strike in Public Services
The Arrêt Dehaene, decided by the Conseil d’État on 7 July 1950, is a landmark decision establishing the right to strike in the French public service as a principle of constitutional value. The …
Arrêt Nicolo (1989): Supremacy of EU Law
The Arrêt Nicolo, decided by the Conseil d’État on 20 October 1989, is a landmark decision in which the highest French administrative court accepted the supremacy of EU law over subsequent …
Arrêt Société Les Films Lutétia (1959): Théorie de l'Imprévision
The Arrêt Société Les Films Lutétia, decided by the Conseil d’État on 9 December 1959, is a landmark decision on the théorie de l’imprévision (theory of unforeseeability) in administrative …
Conseil National des Barreaux (2007): EU Directives and Lawyer Independence
The Conseil National des Barreaux decision, issued by the Conseil d’État on 10 April 2007, addressed the transposition of EU anti-money laundering directives into French law and their …
Key French Constitutional Council Decisions
The Constitutional Council’s Landmark Jurisprudence The Conseil constitutionnel (Constitutional Council) has, since its establishment under the Constitution of 1958, developed a rich body of …