The French Legal System Second edition Andrew West LLB (Southampton), Diplome d'etudes Superieures d'universite (Droit compare) (Aix-Marseille III), PGCE (FE) (Wales), Solicitor; Lecturer, University of Wales Swansea. Yvon Desdevises Docteur d'etat en Droit, Professeur et Doyen honoraire a Alain Fenet Docteur d'etat en Droit, Professeur a l'universite d'evry Val d'essonne. Dominique Gaurier Docteur d'etat en Droit, Maitre de Conferences a Marie-Clet Heussaff Docteur d'etat en Droit, Maitre de Conferences a Bruno Levy Docteur d'etat en Droit, Maitre de Conferences a l'universite de Nantes. Butterworths London, Edinburgh, Dublin 1998
Contents Preface v Chapter One: Historical development and classification of laws 1 PART ONE: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE FRENCH LEGAL SYSTEM 1 A. Roman Gaul to feudal France 1 1. Roman Gaul 1 2. From ethnic to local customary law 2 3. The evolution of royal authority 2 4. Evolution of the judicial system and legal procedure... 4 B. Sources of pre-revolutionary law (Ancien Droit) 8 1. Customary law 8 2. Case law of the Parlements 10 3. Royal ordinances 11 4. Roman law 14 5. Canon law 15 6. Legal writings (la doctrine) 16 7. Towards codification 17 C. Revolutionary and post-revolutionary law 17 1. Repeal of Ancien Droit 17 2. Codification of private law 20 3. Introduction of a written constitution 23 PART TWO: CLASSIFICATION OF FRENCH LAW 24 1. The distinction between droit public and droit prive 24 2. Classification of French law 25 Texts and Materials 28 Chapter Two: Modern sources of law 41 A. Introduction 41 1. Ancien Droit 41 2. Sources of modern French law 41 3. Understanding the French approach to the written law 41 B. Legislation 42 1. Loi and reglement 42 2. Hierarchy of texts 43 3. Parliamentary statutes (lois) 47 4. Interpretation of legislation 49
Vlll THE FRENCH LEGAL SYSTEM C. Case law (la jurisprudence) 54 1. Introduction 54 2. Is case law a source of law? 55 3. The authority of case law 57 4. Form and presentation of decisions 59 5. Law reports 60 D. Legal writings (la doctrine) 60 1. Definition and role 60 2. Form 61 E. Custom 61 1. Introduction 61 2. Continuing importance of custom 61 Texts and Materials 64 Chapter Three: The court system, the judiciary and the legal professions... 73 A. The court system 73 1. General principles 73 2. Ordinary courts 76 3. Administrative courts 88 4. Le Conseil Constitutionnel 94 B. The judiciary 95 1. Introduction 95 2. Recruitment and training 96 3. Independence 97 4. Discipline 99 C. The legal professions 100 1. Introduction 100 2. Avocats 100 3. Avocats aux Conseils 107 4. Notaires 107 5. Avoues pres des Cours d'appel 109 6. Huissiers de justice 109 7. Administrateurs et mandataires judiciaires 110 D. Costs and legal aid 110 1. Introduction 110 2. Costs Ill 3. Legal aid Ill Texts and Materials 114 Chapter Four: The constitutional framework 135 A. Introduction 135 B. The Republic 136 1. The notion of 'Republique' 136 2. The continuity of the Republic 136 3. The Republican programme 137 4. The institutions of the Republic: separation of powers 141 5. The defence of the Republic 150 C. The nation 153 1. Theoretical basis 153 2. National sovereignty 153
Contents ix 3. Amendments to the principle of national sovereignty in the 1958 Constitution 155 D. I'Etat de droit 158 1. The hierarchy of norms 158 2. The Constitution and parliamentary statute 159 3. International and EU law 163 4. General principles of law 164 5. Presidential decisions 166 6. Ordinances, 166 7. Government regulations; le pouvoir reglementaire... 167 8. The principle of legality 168 9. Le mediateur 171 Texts and Materials 173 Chapter Five: Criminal procedure 215 A. First principles 215 1. Characteristics 215 2. Historical development 216 3. Burden and means of proof 218 B. Those involved in the criminal action 224 1. The police 224 2. The prosecution; le ministere public 226 3. La partie civile; prosecution by the victim 231 4. Prosecution by persons other than the ministere public and partie civile 234 5. Juge d'instruction 234 6. The Chambre d'accusation of the Cour d'appel 235 7. The jury 236 C. L'enquete de police 237 1. Purpose and characteristics 237 2. L'enquete preliminaire and l'enquete de flagrance... 239 3. Police powers and rights of the suspect during the enquete 240 4. Termination of l'enquete de police 246 D. Instruction 246 1. Purpose and nature of instruction 246 2. Recourse to instruction 248 3. Arrest, detention and questioning of the suspect 250 4. Questioning of witnesses 257 5. Factual investigations 257 6. Expert investigations 259 7. Investigation of the background of the accused (l'enquete de personnalite) 261 8. Bringing to an end instruction; ordonnances de reglement 262 9. The Chambre d'accusation of the Cour d'appel 263 E. Trial 264 1. Characteristics 264 2. Trial procedure 265 3. Simplified trial procedure in the Tribunal de Police... 267 F. Voies de recours; appeals 268
X THE FRENCH LEGAL SYSTEM 1. Introduction 268 2. Appel 268 3. Opposition 269 4. Pourvoi en cassation 269 5. Pourvoi en revision 270 Texts and Materials 272 Chapter Six: Civil and administrative procedure 285 A. Introductory matters 285 1. Growth of litigation 285 2. Roles of the judge and the parties 285 3. Procedure: secret or public? 287 4. Procedure: written or oral? 287 5. Burden and means of proof 288 6. Role of the ministere public and commissaire du gouvernement 290 B. Civil procedure in Tribunal de Grande Instance cases 291 1. Commencement of an action 291 2. The instruction phase 292 3. Hearing and judgment 298 4. Voies de recours (appeals) 301 5. Voies d'execution: enforcement of judgments 304 C. Particular procedures 305 1. Introduction 305 2. Procedures for simple and urgent matters (les procedures d'urgence) 306 3. Procedure in respect of consent orders (matiere gracieuse) 308 4. Procedure before courts of special jurisdiction 309 5. Arbitration 310 6. Alternative dispute resolution 311 D. Administrative court procedure 312 1. Introduction 312 2. Different types of administrative proceedings (recours) 312 3. Non-suspensive effect of administrative proceedings 314 4. Conditions for proceedings to lie (conditions de recevabilite des recours) 315 5. Procedure in the administrative courts 317 Texts and Materials 320 Glossary of terms 333 Selected bibliography 349 Index 355