Procedures
Civil Litigation in the French Legal System
Civil litigation in France is governed by the Code of Civil Procedure (Code de procédure civile) and follows the civil law tradition’s inquisitorial model, in which the judge plays an active …
Contentieux Administratif: French Administrative Litigation
French administrative litigation (contentieux administratif) is the body of procedural rules governing disputes before the administrative courts. It is distinct from civil and criminal procedure and …
Criminal Procedure and the Juge d'Instruction
French criminal procedure is governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Code de procédure pénale). It follows a mixed inquisitorial-adversarial model, with a formal investigation phase for serious …
French Administrative Procedure (Contentieux Administratif)
French Administrative Procedure French administrative procedure governs the conduct of litigation before the administrative courts, principally the tribunaux administratifs, the cours administratives …
French Civil Procedure: Nouveau Code de Procédure Civile and Appeals
French civil procedure is governed by the Code de procédure civile (CPC), also known as the Nouveau Code de procédure civile (NCPC). The Code establishes the rules for the conduct of civil litigation, …
French Criminal Procedure: The Code of Criminal Procedure and the Judicial Investigation
French criminal procedure is governed by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Code de procédure pénale, CPP), enacted in 1958 and substantially reformed on multiple occasions. The procedure follows a mixed …
Institution of Proceedings in France: Assignation, Requête, and Standing
The institution of proceedings in French civil procedure is governed by the Code de procédure civile (CPC), which establishes the methods by which a lawsuit is brought before the court and the …
The Dual Court System and Conseil d'État
France’s dual court system (dualisme juridictionnel) is a defining feature of its legal order, separating the judicial courts (ordre judiciaire) from the administrative courts (ordre …