Law of France: Difference between revisions

* [[Criminal law in France|Criminal law]] ({{lang|fr|droit pénalepénal}})

The announcement in November 2005 by the [[European Commission]] that, on the basis of powers recognised in a recent{{when|date=October 2024}} [[European Court of Justice]] ("ECJ") ruling,{{what|date=October 2024}} it intends to create a dozen or so European Union ("EU") criminal offences{{what|date=October 2024}} suggests that one should{{weasel inline|date=October 2024}} also now consider [[EU law]] ("[[:fr:droit communautaire|droit communautaire]]", sometimes referred to, less accurately, as "[[:fr:droit europeén|droit européen]]") as a new and distinct area of law in France (akin to the "federal laws" that apply across States of the US, on top of their own State law), and not simply a group of rules which influence the content of France's civil, criminal, administrative and constitutional law.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Some areas of French law even primarily consist of case law. For example, tort liability in private law is primarily elaborated by judges, from only five articles (articles 1382–1386) in the [[Napoleonic Code|Civil Code]].<ref>''Les conditions de la responsabilité'' 3rd edn. (Paris, 2006)</ref><ref>''Les effets de la responsabilité'' 2nd edn. (Paris, 2001)</ref> Scholars have suggested that, in these fields of law, French judges are creating law much like common law judges.<ref name="Lawson-1953" />⁸²<ref>G. Ripert, ''Le régime démocratique et le droit civil moderne'', vol. 2 (Paris, 1948), 15</ref> Case law is also the primary sourcessource for principles in French [[administrative law]].<ref name="Bell-2001" /> Many of the [[Constitutional Council (France)|Constitutional Council]]'s decisions are critical for understanding French [[constitutional law]].<ref>See G. Vedel, 'Le précédent judiciaire en droit public', in ''Die Bedeutung von Präjudizien in deutschen und französischen Recht (Arbeiten zur Rechtsvergleichung no. 123'' (Frankfurt/Main, 1985).</ref>

The differences between French case law and case law in common law systems appear to be: (1) theyit areis not cited in the highest courts;<ref name="Bell-Boyron-2008a" /><ref name="Bell-1991" /><ref name="Lasser-1995" /><ref name="Bell-2001" /> (2) lower courts are theoretically free to depart from higher courts, although they risk their decisions being overturned;<ref name="Bell-Boyron-2008a" /> and (3) courts must not solely cite case law as a basis of decision in the absence of a recognized source of law.<ref>E.g. Crim. 3 Nov. 1955, D 1956.557 note Savatier, where a Cour d'appel's decision was quashed because it had refused to exceed its normal maximum level of damages.</ref><ref name="Bell-Boyron-2008a" />

French judicial decisions, especially in its highest courts, are written in a highly laconic and formalist style, being incomprehensible to non-lawyers.<ref>A. Perdriau, ''La pratique des arrêts civils de la Cour de cassation: principes et méthodes de rédaction'' (Paris, 1993)</ref><ref>B. Ducamin, 'Le style des décisions du Conseil d'Etat' EDCE 1984–1985.129</ref> While judges do consider practical implications and policy debates, they are not at all reflected in the written decision.<ref>M. Lasser, ''Judicial Deliberations. A Comparative Analysis of Judicial Transparency and Legitimacy'' (Oxford, 2004), 16, 44–61</ref> This has led scholars to criticize the courts for being overly formalistic and even disingenuous, for maintaining the facade of judges only interpreting legal rules and arriving at deductive results.<ref name="Bell-Boyron-2008a" />

The {{ILL|Ordinance of Montils-les-Tours (1454)|fr|Ordonnance de Montils-lès-Tours}} was an important juncture in this period, as it ordered the official recording and homologation of customary law.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> Customs would be compiled by local practitioners and approved by local assemblies of the [[Estates of the realm|three estates]], with disagreements resolved by the central court.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> At the time, the wholesale adoption of [[Roman law]] and the ''[[Jus commune|ius commune]]'' would be unrealistic, as the king’s authority was insufficient to impose a unified legal system in all French provinces.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> In the process of recording, local customs were sometimes simplified or reformed.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> By the 16th century, around sixty general customs were recorded and given official status, disqualifying any unrecorded customs from having official status.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> Roman law remained as a reserve, to be used for argumentation and to supplement customary law.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" />

Accompanying the process of centralization and mercantilism, the king effectively initiated {{ILL|processes of codification|fr|Code Louis}} in the mid 17th century.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /><ref>Jean-Louis Halpérin, ''Five Legal Revolutions since the 17th Century: An Analysis of a Global Legal History'' (Springer 2014) 35 ff</ref> [[Jean-Baptiste Colbert]], the Minister of Finance and later also Secretary of the Navy in charge of the colonial empire and trade, was main architect of the codes.<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> The first of such codes is the 1667 Ordinance of Civil Procedure (officially known as the ''Ordonnance pour la reformation de la justice''), which established clear and uniform procedural rules, replacing previous rules in all royal jurisdictions and in [[French colonization of the Americas|the colonies]].<ref>Van Caenegem, ‘History of European Civil Procedure’ (n 2) 45 ff.</ref><ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> The 1667 Ordinance is the main inspiration of the ''[[Napoleonic Code|Code de procedure civile]]'' passed in 1806 under [[Napoleon]].<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> Other codes include the 1670 Criminal Ordinance, the 1673 Ordinance for Overland Trade (''Code Marchand''), and the 1681 Ordinance for Maritime Trade (''Code de la Marine'').<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> Ordinances would later be drawn up on Donations (1731), Wills (1735), Falsifications (1737), and Trustees (1747), but a unified code of private law would not be passed until 1804, under Napoleon and after the [[French Revolution]].<ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> Under King [[Louis XV of France|Louis XV]],<ref>Serge Dauchy, ‘Séance royale du 3 mars 1766 devant le Parlement de Paris dit séance de la Flagellation’ in Julie Benetti, Pierre Egéa, Xavier Magnon, and Wanda Mastor (eds), ''Les Grands discours juridiques, Dalloz, collection les grands arrêts'', 2017.</ref> there would be a constant struggle between royal legislation, traditional conceptions of the law of the Realm (customs and Roman law), and [[Parlement|parliamentary]] ''arrêts de règlements'' (regulatory decisions).<ref>Philippe Payen, ''Les Arrêts de règlement du Parlement de Paris au XVIIIe siècle'' (Presses universitaires de France 1997).</ref><ref name="Dauchy-2018" /> Judges sided with the local parliaments (judicial bodies in France) and the landed aristocracy, undermining royal authority and legislation.<ref>Alexis de Tocqueville, The Old Regime and the French Revolution</ref><ref>Georges Lefebvre, The Coming of the French Revolution 17-18 (Palmer, tr. 1967)</ref>

Even before the French Revolution, French enlightenment thinkingsthinkers like [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]], with a theory of natural rights, and especially [[Montesquieu]], who advocated for a separation of powers, were major influences on the law throughout Europe and the United States.<ref>Stella Ghervas, ‘The Reception of ''The Spirit of Law'' in Russia: A History of Ambiguities’ in Michel Porret and Catherine Volpilhac-Auger (eds.), ''Le Temps de Montesquieu'' (Droz 2002) 391–403.</ref><ref name="Dauchy-2018" />

French constitutional law includes not only the Constitution itself, but also its preamble which incorporates a list of norms known as ''bloc de constitutionnalité'', including the "[[1971 Freedom of Association Decision|Freedom of Association]]" provision<ref name="CC 71-44">See ''Conseil Constitutionnel'' Decision 71–44 DC, 16 July 1971, ''Liberté d'association'', Rec. 29</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/cons/id/CONSTEXT000017665605|title=Décision 71-44 DC - 16 juillet 1971 - Loi complétant les dispositions des articles 5 et 7 de la loi du 1er juillet 1901 relative au contrat d'association - Non conformité partielle|work=Legifrance|language=French|access-date=27 February 2023}}</ref> of the Conseil Constitutionnel.

Lawyers ({{Lang|fr|avocats}}) are licensed via two routes in France. The most common one is the educational route via a [[licence de droit]] and a Master 1 in law, followed by the bar exam and 18 months of training at a bar school (one of fifteen {{Lang|fr|Écoles d'avocats}}, EDAs). The second, less common route is the professional route. Candidates that hold specifocspecific diplomas can join an EDA without sitting the entrance examination (for example, PhD students), or qualify as a lawyer by directly sitting the final exam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Regulation of the Legal Profession in France: Overview |url=http://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/w-032-7664?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Practical Law |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-04-13 |title=Accessing the legal profession in France |url=https://www.cnb.avocat.fr/en/accessing-legal-profession-france |access-date=2023-07-12 |website=Conseil national des barreaux |language=en}}</ref>

;''in English''

* Bell, John, Sophie Boyron, & Simon Whittaker. ''Principles of French law''., Oxford;2nd Newedn. YorkOxford: Oxford University Press, 19982008. {{ISBN|0-19-876394-8}}, {{ISBN|0-19-876395-6}}.

* CairnsBermann, WalterGeorge A. & Étienne Picard, eds. ''Introduction to French law''. LondonAlphen aan den Rijn: Cavendish,Kluwer 1995.Law International, {{ISBN|1-85941-112-6}}2008.

* David, René. ''French Lawlaw: Itsits Structurestructure, Sourcessources and Methodologymethodology''. Trans. Michael Kindred. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University, 1972.

* Bart, Jean. '''''Histoire du droit'''''. (Paris: Dalloz, c1999)1999. {{ISBN|2-247-03738-0}}.