Glossary of French criminal law
This glossary of French criminal law is a list of explanations or translations of contemporary and historical concepts of criminal law in France.
Introduction
Scope
This glossary includes terms from criminal law under the legal system in France. Legal terms from other countries that use French language (Belgium, Canada, Switzerland, North Africa, etc.) are not included here. Terms from the French civil code (known as the Napoleonic code) and from French administrative law are generally not included, unless they have repercussions for criminal law.
Disclaimer
There is absolutely no assurance that any statement contained in this article is true, correct, or precise. The information in this article is, at best, of a general nature and cannot substitute for the advice of a competent authority with specialized knowledge.
Style
Each entry consists of a bolded headword containing one French expression, followed by an indented section with a translated equivalent or description of the term. Headwords appear as they would be if found in English running text; thus italicized, and in lower case unless always capitalized. Many of these terms can be found in French Wikipedia. Below the headword, the indented text may contain either a direct translation of the French term, a definition or description of it, or some combination. A section symbol (§) prefixed before a term indicates another term appearing on the page. Headwords are alphabetized as if they contained no embedded blanks; accented letters are alphabetized as if they were not accented; for example: à perpetuité comes after amende but before appel.
Glossary
A
- abrogation
- repeal of an Act;[1] revocation (of regulations, etc.)[2]
- abus
- misuse; fraudulent misuse[3] See also: § détournement.
- Usage notes:
- abus d'autorité ⟶ abuse (misuse) of official authority. See § abus de pouvoir below.
- abus de biens sociaux ⟶ misuse of a company's property or credit
- abus de confiance ⟶ misappropriation, embezzlement (see also: § détourner); fraudulent conversion. In other contexts (civil law) ⟶ breach of trust.
- abus sexuel sur mineur ⟶ child sexual abuse
- abus de faiblesse : see also disability abuse.
- abus de pouvoir ⟶ abuse of power – exercise of a legal right only to cause annoyance, harm, or injury.
- Other contexts (outside of criminal law):
- abus de droit ⟶ (in civil law) abuse of rights[4]
- abus de position dominante (in commercial law) see Law 420-2.[5]
- accusatoire
- adversarial.[6] See § procédure accusatoire et contradictoire.
- accusé
- The accused person (or defendant,[6][1] or suspect) suspected or accused of an § infraction of a serious type (i.e., a § délit or a § crime). Compare § prévenu.
- acquittement
- a decision by a § cour d'assises of not guilty against a defendant.[7] See § relaxe.
- acte de barbarie
- inhumane act[6]
- acte d'écrou
- See § écrou.
- acte juridique
- any document having legal significance; an instrument[1]
- a term which has no equivalent in English, but means any document or action which has legal implications (contrast § faits matériels). Examples: legacies, contract offers, notices of arrears, but not negligence or commission of a crime, which are faits matériels.[8]
- action publique
- public prosecution;[6] criminal proceedings.[lower-alpha 1] Actions carried out on behalf of society by the § Ministère public (Public Prosecutor's Office) against those involved in a criminal violation. Action publique is defined by article 1 of the § CPP[9] (French code of criminal procedure).
- Usage note: déclencher l'action publique ⟶ to institute criminal proceedings[10]
- administration penitentiaire
- prison service[6]
- affaire
- case[6]
- affaire pénale
- criminal case
- afflictif
- See § Peine afflictive et infamante.
- agent de la force publique
- law enforcement officer; police officer; police. See also § force publique.
- agent de police judiciaire
- police officer;[6] judicial police officers of the police nationale (National Police (France)), or gendarmes of the § gendarmerie nationale (National Gendarmerie)[11] See also: § officiers de police judiciaire.
- agir sous l'empire de
- act under the influence of[6]
- Usage note: agir sous l'emprise de ⟶ an eggcorn with the same meaning
- agissements incriminés
- criminal conduct[6]
- à huis clos
- in camera[6]
- ajournement
- old term for § citation directe
- à juste titre
correctly; properly[1]
- aliénation mentale partielle
- partial mental disturbance; a perpetrator found by medical experts to have aliénation mentale partielle is § non-imputable and may be found to lack the § élément moral (mens rea) to be charged with an § infraction.[12][13]
- alinéa
- paragraph[6]
- amende honorable
- public confession, apology[6]
- à perpetuité
- life; for life[6]
- appel
- an appeal.[6][16] The appelant (same word and spelling in English) is the party who is appealing, while the § intimé (respondent) is the party who is the defendant in the appeal proceeding. See also: § pourvoi, § recours.
- Usage notes:
- fol appel ⟶ frivolous or vexatious appeal[17]
- interjeter appel ⟶ when an appeal is made to the Court of Appeal, the term "interjeter appel" is used
- application de la loi dans le temps
- concerns the legal effects of a law which replaces or amends an older one on the same topic, and the extent to which it applies to situations which arose before it came into force. The old law nevertheless continues to have certain effects.[18]
- arme
- weapon[6]
- arrestation
- arrest[6]
- arrêt
- a judgment (of a court).[1] Compare: § décision de justice, § jugement, § ordonnance, § relaxe. See also: § cour.
- Note: not to be confused with: § arrêté.
- arrêt de mise en accusation
- Judgment in a criminal proceeding.[1] See also: § mise en accusation.
- arrêt de non-lieu
- judgment of no case to answer.[1] See also: § non-lieu.
- arrêt de renvoi
- a judgment referring a case back to another court.[1]
- arrêté
- order, decision, decree (of a minister, or other administrative officer)[1]
- Note: not to be confused with: § arrêt.
- assigner
- to summon.
- Usage notes:
- astreinte
- a punitive measure[19] by which a court obliges a guilty person to pay a certain sum of money per day of delay if he does not carry out a prior court order to give or to do something[22][23]
- See also: § être astreinte aux obligations du contrôle judiciaire.
- à temps
- fixed term[6]
- atteinte
- attack[6]
- auteur
- principal offender, defendant[6]
- auteur intellectuel
- see § auteur moral[24]
- auteur matériel
- principal offender.[24] See also § élément matériel.
- auteur moral
- person who is treated as the § auteur matériel (principal offender), even if they did not carry out the § élément matériel (actus reus) of the offense; also known as the auteur intellectuel. See also § élément moral.[24]
- autorité judiciaire
- ordinary courts[25]
- Usage note: avertir les autorités judiciaires ⟶ to alert the legal authorities[24]
- autorité legitime
- legitimate authority[24]
- avertissement
- summons (in criminal proceedings)[19]
- aveu
- Confession, or more rarely, statement
- avocat
- a lawyer,similar to a barrister,[19] with a specific education and training track which is separate from the § procureurs, who have different professional training and are part of the § magistrature.[26]
- avoué
- solicitor; lawyer before the Cour d'Appel[19]
B
- bande organisée
- organized gang[24]
- bannissement
- banishment. A type of punishment under the Ancien régime.[27] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
- blanchiment
- money laundering;[24] also, whitewashing, and in non-legal context: bleaching
- bloc de constitutionnalité
- the constitutional block is a set of texts recognized as being invested with the same constitutional force as the French Constitution itself. It includes the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), the preamble of the Constitution of 1946, and the Charter for the Environment (2004).See also § valeur constitutionnelle.
- bon père de famille
- reasonable person;[24] a bonus pater familias, reasonable man
C
- capacité juridique
- legal competence. The ability to have rights and obligations and to exercise them oneself. Minors do not have it, neither do adults under guardianship (tutelle) or curatorship (curatelle).[29]
- carcan
- an iron collar[24] placed around the neck of a § condamné (prisoner) and fixed to a pillory, a symbol of § haute justice in medieval France.[30]
- cas de force majeure
- See § force majeure.
- casier judiciaire
- criminal record. A record of criminal convictions stored at the National Criminal Record Office of the Ministry of Justice in Nantes.[29]
- cassation
- Reversal by the § Cour de cassation or by the § conseil d'Etat of a judicial decision rendered contrary to the rules of law.[29]
- causes de non-imputabilité
- grounds for which a judge might declare a defendant not morally responsible (cf. § élément moral) for a crime, even if they are materially responsible (cf. § élément matériel) for it. It is up to legislators to decide, generally speaking, what acts are to be considered criminal, and it is up to the judges to decide in individual cases whether a defendant is criminally responsible for an act. Some grounds are codified by legislators, such as dementia, physical or moral constraint; the concept of criminal responsibility, in effect presupposes that the perpetrator of a given action acted in full control of their faculties and with § libre arbitre (free will).[32] See also § élément moral, § intention, § aliénation mentale partielle.
- centre de détention
- A prison or institutional housing for those inmates with the best prospects for reintegration into society. Their detention is mainly oriented towards the resocialization of prisoners.[29]
- centre de semi-liberté
- A prison which houses convicts admitted under the § régime de semi-liberté (semi-liberty regime).[29]
- Chambre correctionelle
- Criminal Division (of the § Tribunal correctionnel, § Tribunal de grande instance, or § Cour d'assises)[24]
- Usage note: in larger jurisdictions, numbered to distinguish one from another, as in, le ne chambre correctionalle ⟶ "the nth criminal division"
- Chambre d'accusation
- division of a § Cour d'appel (appeal court) in charge of a judicial investigation, known since 2000 as the § Chambre de l'instruction[24]
- Chambre de l'instruction
- name given to the old § Chambre d'accusation following the law of 15 June 2000[24][33] on the § Loi sur la présomption d'innocence (Law on the presumption of innocence; a.k.a. § Loi Guigou)
- A panel of the § Cour d'appel that examines appeals of decisions rendered by a § juge d'instruction and reviews their lawfulness. Example: order for § mise en examen (indictment); placement under § contrôle judiciaire (judicial supervision).[29]
- chose jugée
- res judicata[19]
- citation
- A document delivered by a § huissier de justice (bailiff) or issued by the § greffe (court registry) that orders a person to appear before a court. Example: § citation (summons to appear).[29]
- citation directe
- A summons delivered to an individual by a § huissier to appear at a certain date before the § tribunal de police or § tribunal correctionnel. Called an § ajournement under the old system.[34][29][35][36]
- CJUE
- The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) (Cour de justice de l'Union européenne).
- classer sans suite
- In the event of an offense, the § ministère public (Public Prosecutor's Office) may decide not to initiate § action publique (criminal proceedings) against the § auteur (perpetrator). The decisioncan be taken for legal reasons or on the elements of the investigation: unidentified perpetrator, absence or insufficient evidence, withdrawal of complaint.[29] See also: § opportunité des poursuites.
- coauteur
- a joint principal;[24] based on the idea of a joint endeavor, in which two or more people involved in an act are equally liable for everything that happens, regardless whether they were present or not. The mens rea formed by one is imputed to the others.
- Code des délits et des peines
- The Code of Offences and Penalties was a criminal code adopted in revolutionary France by the National Convention on 25 October 1795 dealing with judicial organization, § Code de procédure pénale (criminal procedure), and § Sanction pénale (criminal sanctions). It established a division between the § police administrative and § police judiciaire (administrative and judiciary police), and led to the duality of the judicial system (§ dualité des ordres de juridiction) with the distinction between the § ordre administratif and the § ordre judiciaire still in force.
- Code de procédure pénale (CPP)
- French Code of Criminal Procedure. The legal code which covers all aspects of French criminal procedure
- code pénale
- French criminal code; also called the "penal code".
- commetre
- to commit[24]
- commission rogatoire
- A request from a judge in one jurisdiction, to an § officier de police judiciaire or to a judge in another (or in a foreign country) to carry out investigative measures or other judicial acts on their behalf.[37][38][39] Similar to Letters rogatory. The § juge d'instruction can delegate investigative acts to the police via a commission rogatoire[40][38][41]
- delegation of authority by a judge, usually to the police, to carry out the initial investigation of the case[42]
- comparution
- Appearance; the act of appearing in court.[43]
- comparution immédiate
- Procedure by which the perpetrator of an § infraction is brought before the § tribunal correctionnel at the end of his § garde à vue (custody), to be tried.[29][44] See also § flagrant délit.
- comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC)
- French justice does not have a guilty plea or plea bargaining as in common law,[45] but the CRPC allows the prosecutor to offer a reduced sentence of up to one year in prison or half of the maximum penalty if the defendant admits the offense. Introduced in 2004 and later extended to almost all § délits, by 2012 it was 13% of délit prosecutions.[46] See also § coupable.
- compétent
- a court having the appropriate jurisdiction to investigate and try a given type of § infraction.[29] See also § présomption d'innocence.
- complicité correspective
- analysis in which the § coauteur (joint principal) is also ispo facto an accomplice[24]
- complot
- conspiracy (see also: § association de malfaiteurs)[24]
- condamnation
- conviction.[10] In criminal matters, it is a court decision/verdict declaring a person § coupable (guilty) of committing an § infraction and imposing a § peine (sentence).
- condamnation avec sursis
- suspended sentence. A sentence that the convicted person is excused from having to serve, unless found guilty for some other offense within five years.[29]
- condamnation définitive
- A conviction becomes final when all recourses have been exhausted (e.g., appeal). It cannot be challenged unless the trial is reviewed.[29]
- condamnation par défaut
- Conviction resulting from a trial in absentia of a person without representation and who was not aware of the date of the § audience (hearing).[29]
- condamné
- convicted person;[10] A person who has been found guilty of an § infraction (offense) by a § condamnation définitive (final decision) and upon whom a § sanction (penalty) is imposed.[29]
- confiscation d'un objet
- confiscation of an asset[10]
- conseil d'État
- The Conseil d'État, or Council of state, is the supreme court of the § ordre administratif (administrative order). This is not part of criminal law, which is under the § ordre judiciaire.
- consommation
- commission (in non-legal contexts: consumption, intake, use of)[10]
- constat
- official report[42]
- constatation
- finding, proof[42]
- contrainte
- constraint[10]
- contrainte pénale
- a new type of probationary sentence for délits, created in 2014 as a result of the conférence de consensus (Consensus Commission) established by justice minister Christiane Taubira to reduce recidivism.[48]
- contravention
- A non-criminal offense (such as a parking ticket) is a minor offense[24] judged by the police court. The offender is liable to a fine and/or a penalty that deprives or restricts his rights, such as suspension of the driver's license, a ban on issuing checks, etc.[49]
- contrôle judiciaire
- Judicial supervision. A penal measure ordered by the § juge d'instruction or the § juge des libertés et de la détention (liberty and custody judge) pending trial. The convicted person is subject to certain obligations (answering summonses from the § SPIP, a prohibition on meeting certain people or frequenting certain places, § obligation de soins (court-ordered treatment) etc. and may benefit, depending on his or her situation, from social support.[29]
- contrôle restreinte
- judicial review[50]
- copie exécutoire
- See § grosse.
coupable (adj.)
- guilty[24]
coupable (n.)
- guilty person.[24] There is no guilty plea in French criminal law. A defendant may confess to a crime, but this becomes one more piece of evidence that can be used against them. Plea bargaining does not exist.[45] See also: § comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité.
- coups et blessures volontaires
- crime of intentionally injuring another[24]
- cour
- Court.
- Usage note: cour and § tribunal both mean "court", but there is a hierarchy between them: tribunal is a court of § instance, whereas a § cour is an appeals court. Further, different terms are used for their rulings: a § tribunal gives a § jugement, whereas a cour renders an § arrêt.[51]
- Cour d'appel
- court of appeal[24]
- Cour d'assises
- court that tries the most serious offenses.[24][42] The court having jurisdiction over § crime, composed of three professional judges and six jurors. In principle, it is situated in the chief town of the department or in the seat of the court of appeal if there is one in the department. Appeals against conviction verdicts (§ condamnation) handed down by an Assize Court are reviewed by another Assize Court composed of three professional judges and nine jurors.[29]
- Cour d'assises de mineurs
- court that tries serious offenses by minors[24]
- Cour de cassation
- court that hears final appeals on points of law only.[24] The supreme court of the § ordre judiciaire, dealing within the 'ordinary' courts,[50] located in Paris. Its role is not to retry a case, but to check that court decisions have been rendered in accordance with the rules of law. An appeal before this court is called a § pourvoi en cassation.
- CPP
- See § Code de procédure pénale
- crime
- serious offense; serious crime;[24] an offense judged by a § court of assizes. The penalty is more than 10 years imprisonment and the fine is at least 75,000 euros.[49]
- crime contre l'humanite
- crime against humanity[24]
- crime de guerre
- war crime[24]
- culpabilité
- guilt.[24] See § coupable.
D
- déchéance
- disqualification[10] Loss of a right as a penalty, or because of non-compliance with conditions governing its exercise. Example: loss of civic rights following a criminal conviction.[52]
- décision de justice
- A written summary of the case, representing the resolution adopted by the court and the reasoning that led to it.[52] Compare: § arrêt, § jugement, § ordonnance, and § relaxe. See also: § cour.
- décolation
- decapitation[10]
- se deféndre
- to defend oneself[10]
- défit
- wrongful conduct[10]
- délai de prescription
- See § prescription.
- délictuel
- adjectival form of § délit, meaning: that which constitutes a délit, or is characteristic of a délit. Also: délictueux.[53]
- délit
- A middle-ranking criminal offense[54][lower-alpha 2] judged by a § tribunal correctionnel (correctional court). In the tripartite division of § infractions (offenses), it is of intermediate seriousness[54] between a § contravention (minor) and a § crime (major). The maximum sentence is ten years, minimum is a 3750 Euro fine.[49] Alternative sentences include community service (§ travail d'intérêt général), a citizenship course (§ stage de citoyenneté), or additional penalties.[52]
- Usage note: in informal language, may mean any offense.
- délit materièl
- a major offense which only requires as a mens rea that the defendant's conduct be voluntary[10]
- démande en justice
- legal claim; court petition; plaintiff's claim.
- déni de justice
- miscarriage of justice;[10] refusal of a jurisdiction to judge a case. Contrast: § principe d'opportunité des poursuites.
- dénoncer
- Literally: to denounce. When notice of an § infraction (offense) is given to the police or to the § procureur (public prosecutor's office) by a third party, the verb used is dénoncer,[55] and the notice is a dénonciation. Compare: § porter plainte.
- se dépêcher sur les lieux
- See § lieu du crime.
- déportation
- deportation[10]
- dépositaire de la force publique
- law enforcement officer
- déposition
- Testimony given before a court, magistrate, gendarme or police officer.[52]
- Usage note: déposer en justice ⟶ to give evidence in court[10]
- détention provisoire
- remand in custody.[10]
- a measure ordered by the § juge des libertés et de la détention at the request of the § juge d'instruction (investigating judge). The latter may request that a person under investigation for a § crime or § délit punishable by at least three years' imprisonment be placed in prison *before* trial. The § détention provisoire (pre-trial detention) must be strictly substantiated according to the conditions provided by law.[52]
- détournement
- misappropriation; the act of dispossessing someone of something of value which was entrusted to them in confidence. Can be a civil or professional offense, or a criminal offense. Among the latter, it constitutes the § élément matériel of § délits such as § abus de confiance. See also: § abus. Some subtopics:
- Détournement de biens par un dépositaire public (CP 432-15)[56]
- détournement de fonds, a confidence scheme involving fraudulent appropriation of funds
- détournement de mineur, removing a minor from the adults having authority over them; kidnapping (CP 227-7)[57]
- détournement d'objet donné en gage, removal of a security or collateral intended for a creditor (CP 314-5)[58]
- détournement d'objet saisi moving (hiding) an object for which confiscation has been ordered (CP 314-6)[59]
- détournement de pouvoir, when a public official goes beyond their remit, in order to achieve a goal not within the authority of their position. (such acts are nullified, and not a criminal offense) See § abus de pouvoir.
- détournement de procédure, when a public official uses a technique envisioned by law for one specific purpose, for a different one, in order to get around some judicial obstacle and attain some other goal. (a civil, not a criminal offense)
- detournement de fonds
- embezzlement.[10]
- Usage note: détourner ⟶ to misappropriate; détournement ⟶ misappropriation[10]
- diligences
- care[10]
- dispositif
- court's finding (stated at the end of the decision)[10]
- The dispositif of a § décision de justice (court decision) is the last part of a judgment or ruling that describes the resolution of the dispute and is binding on the parties.[52]
- doctrine
- academic writing, learned opinion, the writing of leading authorities[42]
- dol
- fault; [10]
- a fraudulent scheme to deceive another person in order to obtain their consent[52] Compare confidence game.
- dol aggravé
- additional mens rea beyond § dol général or § dol spécial special intention[10]
- dol dépassé
- the repercussions of the act go beyond the intention of, or the foreseeable outcome by the defendant[60]
- dol éventuel
- oblique or indirect intention;[60] See also § intention.
- dol général
- Deliberate commission of a criminal act, while having foreknowledge that the act is prohibited by law and has criminal sanctions.[61]
- dol imprécis
- See § dol indéterminé.[60]
- dol indéterminé
- where a person acts intending a certain result, but without being able to foresee the actual outcome[60]
- dol spécial
- criminal intent. There is dol spécial, or criminal intent, when the perpetrator of an act that threatens an interest protected by criminal law does so with the intention of damaging that interest.[62]
- law: a set of rules governing life in society.[52]
- right (as in, the right to do something; human rights): the prerogatives attributed to an individual.
- droit pénal
- criminal law
- droit privé
- All the rules that concern the acts and lives of individuals or of § personnes morales (legal persons; i.e., private legal entities, such as companies or associations).[52] Contrast: § droit public.
- droit public
- All the rules concerning the organization and operation of the State, local authorities, and administration, as well as their relations with private persons.[52] Contrast: § droit privé.
- dualisme juridictionnel
- Jurisdictional dualism in France, Lit., "jurisdictional duality", "duality of jurisdiction"; consists in the existence of two separate jurisdictional systems, or "orders": the § ordre administratif (administrative order) and the § ordre judiciare (judicial order), headed respectively by the § Conseil d'État (Council of State) for administrative law, and the § Cour de cassation (Court of Cassation) for judicial law (with conflicts of jurisdiction between the two handled by the § Tribunal des conflits). This jurisdictional separation resulted from a long political and administrative history, and is now constitutionally protected.[63]
- The separation of public law (administratif) and private law (judiciaire) goes back to Roman law, and a separate branch for public law existed in the Ancien régime. Many other states have such a system (including in common law countries) but France is set apart in this regard, not only in having a separate judicial order for administrative courts (which exists also in Germany, for example, with Basic Law art. 95) but is exceptional because of the position of the administrative judge being superior to the administration itself, with administrative law being largely unwritten, and established by administrative judicial jurisprudence. That is, administrative law derives largely from case law written by administrative judges, and not by laws passed by the legislature. In the case of the judiciary order, codes are established by the legislature and open to all [in recent years, to everybody online in the form of the Légifrance website established by the French government, according to law] but as administrative law is the result of jurisprudence and uncodified, it is not discussed in Parliament, nor published in the Journal Officiel, and thus is hidden from the public.[64]
E
- écrou
- A § procès verbal (written legal act) that a person has been turned over to a prison warden for detention, including the name of the inmate, the date, and the reasons for incarceration.[65][66] An act of committal; a legal document drawn up for any person who is taken to a penitentiary establishment or who presents himself there voluntarily.[67][68]
- In other contexts: a hardware nut.
- effraction
- breaking (of a lock, door, fence, or other barrier to an enclosed area)[69]
- Usage notes:
- entrée par effraction ⟶ entrance by force[60] break-in
- entrer par effraction ⟶ to break in[69]
- pénétrer par effraction ⟶ breaking and entering
- vol par effraction ⟶ burglary[69]
- égalité devant la loi
- equality before the law.
- élément intellectuel
- Another name for § élément moral
- élément matériel
- the actus reus of an offense (lit.: material element). This is the visible, external part of the offense, i.e., the actions involved in carrying out a criminal act.[70][71][72] Contrast: § élément moral.
- élément moral
- the mens rea of an offense (lit.: 'guilty mind'); i.e., the psychological attitude of the perpetrator towards the commission of the acts deemed to be punishable by criminal law. The perpetrator may have acted with intent, or through recklessness or negligence.[73][74][75] Also known as § élément intellectuel, and § élément psychologique. Contrast: § élément matériel. See also: § dol général, § dol spécial, § intention, and § causes de non-imputabilité.
- élément psychologique
- Another name for § élément moral
- éléments d'appréciation
- information; criteria; background info; key aspects; indications; evidence; considerations.
- éléments de preuve
- evidence
- empire
- See also: § agir sous l'empire de.
- empreinte génétique
- The genetic characteristics permitting an individual to be identified.[76] See also: § FNAEG.
- emprisonnement à perpétuité
- life imprisonment.[77] See § réclusion criminelle à perpétuité.
- encourir une peine
- incur a punishment
- enfreindre les prohibitions légales
- to break the law[60]
- enlèvement
- abduction; kidnapping
- en matière correctionnelle
- for major offenses; in cases involving major offenses[60]
- enquête de flagrance
- expedited investigation (with extended powers)[60][78] of recently committed offenses (within 16 days).[79] Compare § enquête préliminaire.
- the police investigation implemented in cases of flagrance, i.e. a restrictive definition of flagrante delicto.
- enquête officieuse
- Old name for § enquête préliminaire.
- enquête préliminaire
- ordinary police investigation[79] (without special powers).[60] Compare § enquête de flagrance.
- an investigation by the judicial police[80]
- enquête de police
- police investigation
- entraver
- impede[60]
- Équipes régionales d'intervention et de sécurité (ERIS)
- Special forces of the prison administration system who intervene in case of serious tensions at a prison. It is composed of about forty specially trained and equipped surveillance personnel who attempt to prevent incidents from escalating, participate in general searches and restore order if necessary.[81]
- erreur d'appréciation
- error of judgment; erreur manifeste d'appréciation ⟶ manifest error of judgment[82]
- erreur sur le droit
- error of law
- escroquerie
- fraud[60]
- essorillement
- cropping; removal of a person's ears as a physical punishment.[83] See § mutilation, § peine afflictive et infamante.
- état de droit
- rule of law (lit. "state of law").[84] État de droit is one of many ways that the principle of "rule of law" is rendered in French, including: prééminence du droit, primauté du droit, principe de droit, régime de droit, règne du droit, respect de la loi, principe de légalité, or communauté de droit. Although there is debate about the point, there is a general consensus that état de droit and rule of law are equivalent.[85]
- être astreinte aux obligations du contrôle judiciaire
- to be subjected to conditional bail[60]
- être assimilé à une arme
- to be classed as a weapon[60]
- être astreinte aux obligations du contrôle judiciaire
- to be subjected to conditional bail[60]
- être poursuivi
- to be prosecuted[60]
- être puni de
- to be punished with[86]
- être reconnu coupable
- to be found guilty[86]
- exercer l'action publique
- to bring a prosecution;[86] see § action publique.
F
- fait incriminé
- criminal conduct[86]
- fait justificatif
- See § justification.
- faute caracterisée
- established fault[86]
- faute contraventionnelle
- the mens rea of minor offenses[86]
- faute d'imprudence
- carelessness[86]
- faux témoignage
- False testimony. Perjury is a very serious offense, since it undermines not only one of the parties to trial, but also the moral authority of justice. If it is committed for money, it is considered to be corruption.[87]
- fers
- imprisoned; [condemned to] forced labor (§ travaux forcés); literally: "irons". (antiquated)[88] Not to be confused with § marque au fer rouge.
- Usage notes: Jeter quelqu'un dans les fers, le retenir dans les fers; mettre aux fers.
- an old punishment, defined in the penal code of 1791 and retained in the Code des délits et des peines (Code of Offences and Penalties).
- flagellation
- whipping, or flagellation; a type of corporal punishment under the Ancien régime.[89] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
- flagrant délit
- A crime in progress, or having just been committed; in flagrante delicto. If punishable by a prison term, the § parquet can bring the accused rapidly before the judge in a § comparution immédiate in order to be judged.[90] See also § enquête de flagrance.
- flétrissure
- branding. A type of corporal punishment under the Ancien régime.[91] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
- FNAEG
- The Fichier national automatisé des empreintes génétiques is a national system for managing the data about genetic traces of those convicted of certain crimes (rape, murder, drug-dealing) as well as those suspected of those crimes with strong evidence, in order to facilitate the identification and apprehension of perpetrators.[90]
- fond
- refers to the issues of fact in a case upon which the judge rules.[90] See also: § jugement
- force exécutoire
- that which can be enforced, if necessary, by the public force (Example: a judgment). Certain ordinances, notably administrative or notarial, can also be enforceable.[90]
- force majeure
- An unforeseen, insurmountable event beyond a person's control that may relieve someone of legal responsibility for certain acts.[90][92]
- Usage note: often seen as cas de force majeure.
- force publique
- law enforcement; police. See also § agent de la force publique.
- forclusion
- Loss of a right which was not exercised within the prescribed time limit. Example: expiration of the time allowed to appeal a case.[90]
- former un pourvoi
- See § pourvoi.
- formule
- A boilerplate text serving as a model which can be used to draft legal documents of the same type. Example: a formule de testament is a boilerplate draft which can be used as a starting point for drawing up a testament.[93]
- formule exécutoire
- the wording affixed by the § greffier (clerk) at the bottom of the copy of a court decision (judgment or ruling) intended for the party that won the case, to enable them to proceed with enforcement. This enforceable copy is called the "§ grosse".[90]
- fouille
- search[17]
- Usage notes:
- une fouille corporelle, or une fouille à corps: body search, personal search.[17]
- fouille des bagages: baggage search
- fouiller : to frisk
- in other contexts (plural only): fouilles: excavations, archaeological dig
- frapper quelqu'un d'une peine
- to impose a punishment on someone[86]
- frauduleux
- with guilty intent.[86] See also § intention frauduleuse.
- fuite
- escape[86]
G
- galères
- A sentence of travail forcé (forced labor) as a galley slave (galérien), as a type of punishment under the Ancien régime.[94] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
- garde à vue (GAV)
- arrest; police custody during a police investigation. Normally, the detention lasts a maximum 24 hours;[95][96][97][98][99] covered in § CPP article 62-2. Formerly, garde à vue applied to witnesses as well.[79]
- Usage note: mis[e] en garde à vue or placé[e] en garde à vue ⟶ "held in [police] custody", "taken into custody", "placed under arrest"
- Garde des sceaux
- An alternate name for the § ministère de la justice (Minister of Justice).[100] [101] The Keeper of the Seals is a title held by the Minister of Justice. The Minister guards the Great Seal of France in their office. The Seal was used in 1958 to seal the Constitution of France. See also: § scellés.
- Gendarmerie Nationale
- National Gendarmerie. One of the two main corps of § police judiciaire, comprising two groups: the departmental gendarmerie, and the mobile gendarmerie.[98] Compare National Police.
- gens de loi
- practicing lawyers; the legal community[102]
- greffe
- Registrar services of a court staffed by court officers who help the magistrates. The registry is directed by the chief registrar.[103][95][104][105]
- Usage: droit de greffe: registrar fee (e.g., for copies); greffe d'instance: regional court registry; greffer: to be an adjunct of; [106]
- greffier
- a judicial clerk; court clerk.[101] Auxiliary officers who perform clerical duties, draw up documents, and ensure their authenticity and safekeeping. All informational acts by a § juge d'instruction must be performed with the assistance of his clerk.[105][107]
- grosse
- A copy of a court decision bearing the § formule exécutoire, a draft of the order necessary to enforce it.[95] The name derives from the fact that it in earlier times, the person delivering it was paid by the page, so it was to their advantage to write it in large letters to increase the number of pages and thus earn a higher fee. Now better known as the § copie exécutoire.[108]
H
- haute justice
- highest of three levels of § justice seigneuriale under the Ancien régime
- hauteur
- á toute hauteur de la procédure ⟶ at any stage of the proceedings[109]
- heures légales
- legal hours; hours in which process may be served (7 a.m. – 9 p.m.) and judgments executed[110]
- hiérarchie des normes
- hierarchy of norms, or hierarchy of laws. An analysis which views laws as occupying a hierarchy in which laws base their validity upon a higher level norm, and so on, forming a hierarchy, such that laws are validated in a regression of validity ending in the Constitution.[111] The notion was first elaborated by Hans Kelsen[111] in his Pure Theory of Law and the hierarchy concept is often referred to in French legal texts.
- homicide volontaire
- voluntary homicide[86]
- homicide involuntaire
- involuntary homicide; voluntary manslaughter[86]
I
- immobilisation d'un objet
- freezing of assets[86]
- impossibilité materielle
- physical impossibility[115]
- imprudence
- imprudence[115]
- imputabilité
- The possibility of attributing an act to someone or something;[116][117] blameworthiness, or the ability of someone to recognize their action as being unlawful.[12] See also: § non-imputabilité, § élément moral, § aliénation mentale partielle
- imputation
- imputation is the action of attributing an action to a person[118]
- Usage note:
- imputation diffamatoire
defamatory allegation; innuendo[117]
- inappellable
- see § inattaquable
- inattaquable
- not subject to appeal, unchallengeable[119]
- incapacité
- incapacity, disability, disqualification[119]
- of a private person: someone deprived—by law or by court order—of the enjoyment or exercise of certain rights. This is the case for minors or protected adults (majeurs protégés).[120]
- Usage notes:
- incapacité d'ester en justice ⟶ lack of standing before the court[119]
- incapacité d'exercice ⟶ incapacity to exercise one's own rights without assistance; absence of legal capacity[119]
- fr:incapacité permanente ⟶ permanent disability
- incarcération
- imprisonment
- incendiaire
- arsonist[119]
- incendie volontaire
- arson[119]
- incitation
- Usage notes:
- incitation au crime ⟶ incitement to commit a felony[121]
- fr:Incitation à la haine ⟶ incitement to ethnic or racial hatred
- incitation au faux témoignage ⟶ subornation of perjury[121]
- incompétence
- lack of jurisdiction.[121][101] Inability of a court to hear a case for reasons relating either to the nature of the case (e.g., the § tribunal correctionnel cannot try § crime (major crimes) ), or to the nature of the person involved (e.g., the correctional court cannot try minors), or to the geographical location of one or more of the parties (e.g., the correctional court cannot try an offense committed outside its § ressort (geographical jurisdiction) by a perpetrator who lives outside the jurisdiction)[120]
- Usage notes:
- déclaration d'incompétence ⟶ finding of lack of jurisdiction
- incompétence a raison du lieu ⟶ lack of jurisdiction ratione loci such as the defendant's place of residence
- se déclarer incompétent ⟶ refuse jurisdiction
- in concreto
- subjective[86]
- inconduite
- misconduct, immorality[121]
- incriminé
- Usage notes:
- inculpé
- accused, defendant, person charged with a criminal offense.[122][101] See also: § accusé, § prévenu.
- indicateur
- Informant, informer; someone who provides privileged information to law. enforcement.[123] Also: informateur.
- indices
- clues. Traces, items, or material circumstances, which can be examined objectively and which may shed light on certain facts surrounding the commission of an offense.[123]
- individualisation des peines
- a principle recognized by a decision of the Conseil constitutionnel (Constitutional Council (France) as deriving from article 8 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.[124]
- infamie
- Infamie (disgrace) is a decision, action or omission that undermines a person's reputation, taints his honor, or stains him with dishonor. Doucet I-6. Roman law, and Ancient law after it, recognized the judicial decision of infamy, which subjected the person concerned to certain social degradations. This type of sanction can work with people concerned with their honor and reputation.[125]
- See § peine infamante.
- information judiciaire
- the phase of criminal proceedings that precedes a judgment and during which the § juge d'instruction, under the control of the § Chambre de l'instruction (Investigating Chamber), carries out research to establish the truth, gathers and assesses evidence, hears the persons involved or being prosecuted and the witnesses, and decides whether or not to charge a person (mettre en examen) and what action to take.[120] : See § instruction préparatoire.
- informateur
- See § indicateur.
- infraction
- Offense.[86] conduct prohibited by the criminal law and punishable by a penalty specified in the law. Offenses are divided into three categories: § contravention, § délit. § crime.[49] Offenses are usually reported to the police, but may also be reported directly to the § ministère public (public prosecutor's office).[55] See also: § porter plainte, § dénoncer, § sanction penale
- infraction contre un bien
- offense against property[86]
- infraction contre la personne
- offense against a person[86]
- infraction flagrante
- offense giving rise to an expedited investigation[86]
- infraction formelle
- complete offense that does not require a result[86]
- infraction matérielle
- offense which only requires as a mens rea that the defendant's conduct be voluntary. The nearest UK equivalent is a strict liability offense.[86]
- infraction pénale
- criminal offense[86]
- An offense is a behavior strictly forbidden by criminal law and sanctioned by a penalty provided for by it.[49]
- injonction thérapeutique
- A measure ordered against a person convicted of a § crime or § délit, particularly in the case of a sexual or drug offense. It is pronounced by a magistrate after expert medical advice and upon the agreement of the convict. The convicted person then undergoes medical treatment and monitoring by a doctor.[120][126][127]
- injustifié
- unjustified[128]
- inquisitoire
- inquisitorial[128] See § procédure inquisitoire.
- instance
- A dispute brought before a court of law, as well as the entirety of the proceedings, from the initial petition to the judgment. In principle, in the event of an appeal, the case gives rise to new instance, or set of proceedings before another court.[120] The initial petition takes place before a court of first instance, and if appealed, that would be a court of second instance.
- instruction
- pre-trial investigation;[101] judicial investigation;[128] the investigative procedure in which a § juge d'instruction gathers evidence about the commission of an offense and decides on referral to the trial court of the accused parties.
- instruction préparatoire
- Also known as information judiciaire, this is the phase of criminal proceedings in which the § juge d'instruction uses all the means to gather everything necessary to establish the truth of the matter (expert reports, searches, hearings, confrontations), so the court can make an informed decision. The judge investigates evidence for and against the accused, i.e. he gathers all the elements in favor and against the accused. See also: § mise en examen, § témoin assisté, § commission rogatoire, § détention provisoire, § contrôle judiciaire, § juge des libertés et de la détention[120]
- instruit à charge et à décharge
- investigate the charges and the defense; gather evidence both for and against; searches for incriminating and exculpatory evidence
- intention
- intention[128] See also: § dol éventuel, § élément moral, § responsabilité pénale.
- Intention frauduleuse ⟶ guilty intent[128]
- interdiction
- banning[128]
- interrompre l'execution d'une infraction
- prevent the commission of an offense[128]
- intimé
- respondent; party who is the defendant in an § appel (appeal proceeding). See also: § appelant.
- intime conviction
- personal conviction[128]
- irrecevabilité
- Impossibility for a court to study a request for justice, on the grounds that it does not respect the conditions required by law, whether they are a question of form (e.g., the time limit of the procedure not being respected) or of substance (e.g., a person claiming to be a victim does not provide proof of the alleged damage).[120]
- irresponsabilité pénale
- Provisions of the law which exonerate a perpetrator from criminal responsibility for an offense and therefore exclude any conviction against him, in cases such as mental disorder, duress, self-defense, state of necessity.[120] See § causes de non-imputabilité, § élément moral, § libre arbitre.
J
- JAP
- See § juge de l'application des peines.
- jonction
- Fusion of two dossiers by a judge when they are sufficiently related, and one ruling suffices for both.[130]
- jour-amende
- day-fine[128][131][132]
- juge de l'application des peines (JAP)
- probation judge;[45][lower-alpha 3] The judge responsible for supervising the implementation of prison sentences (leave, § libération conditionnelle (parole), semi-liberty, § bracelet électronique (electronic surveillance) with the goal of § réinsertion (reintegration into society) and the prevention of § récidive (recidivism).[133][134] They review the sentence, assess the offender's employment and family situation, and any efforts they have made to make amends or reparations, and may decide on a different penalty than the one received at trial.[54] See also: § tribunal de l'application des peines.
- juge
- judge, court.[135] By metonymy, it may also be used to mean courts in general.[136][lower-alpha 4]
- juge délegué
- a judicial post that existed briefly between two reforms in 1993 before being abolished; was responsible for deciding whether to put someone into § détention provisoire [79]
- juge des libertés et de la détention (JLD)
- judge responsible for deciding whether to place someone in § détention provisoire (pre-trial detention) or grant bail.[128][133][129] Created by the 2000 § loi Guigou on the § présomption d'innocence (presumption of innocence).[137][33]
- juge d'instruction
- Investigating judge. In criminal procedure, the magistrate in charge of gathering all the elements of an offense.[138] In charge of the most complex criminal cases (mandatory for § crime (serious crimes) and optional for § délits (lesser crimes).) Directs the investigation and as such gives instructions to the police and gendarmes. Can put a person under investigation and place him under § contrôle judiciaire judicial supervision, or request that he be remanded in custody by the § juge des libertés et de la détention (JLD). Gathers evidence considered useful for establishing the truth, directs the interrogations, confrontations and hearings, and puts together the dossier that will be submitted to the § tribunal correctionnel (criminal court) or the § cour d'assise (court of assizes) for trial.[133] The juge d'instruction handles about 2% of cases; the other 98% are under the § procureur.[139]
- juge du fond
- judge dealing with law and fact; a court of first instance[101]
- jugement
- a finding, ruling, or judgment; narrowly, a term for a decision by a court of first instance; more generally,a term for any decision by one or more judges.[140][133] Compare: § arrêt, § décision de justice, § ordonnance, § relaxe. See also: § cour.
- juger
- to judge.
- Usage notes:
- juger en connaissance de cause ⟶ make an informed decision.
- juré
- juror.[128]
- In other contexts: "sworn", from the past participle of jurer.
- juridiction administrative
- See § ordre administratif.
- juridiction judiciaire
- See § ordre judiciaire.
- juridiction pénale
- criminal court[128] See also § ordre judiciaire.
- juridiction répressive
- criminal court[128] See also § ordre judiciaire.
- jurisprudence
- case law
- justice
- The French judicial system comes down from the French Revolution of 1789, and is based on principles and on written law voted in § Parlement (French Parliament) by elected deputies and senators. The justice system depends on the Civil code, the Penal code and all laws, including European and international texts. The Constitution affirms the independence of the judiciary from the § pouvoir exécutif (lit. 'executive power'; Government) and from the § pouvoir législatif (lit. 'legislative power'; Parliament).[142][143]
- Usage note: saisir la justice ⟶ go to court, file a case, bring legal proceedings. See § saisir.
- justice seigneuriale
- Feudal manorial justice (justice seigneuriale) was a medieval mode of organization of the judicial system in most of Europe in the Middle Ages. Seigniorial courts in the kingdom of France numbered around 20,000 on the eve of the Revolution, and constituted the basis of judicial organization, along with the provosts' courts (prévôtés, subordinate royal courts) which were abolished in the middle of the eighteenth century.
- justification
- Justification. A criminal defense where the defendant claims to have done nothing wrong because the fact of committing the crime promoted some social interest or asserted a right of such importance as to outweigh any wrongfulness of the crime.
- Usage note: fait justificatif ⟶ such a defense; justification; objective defense[86]
KL
- larcin
- theft of low value[144]
- légitime défense
- A person is deemed to be acting in self-defense when they respond to an immediate and unjustified attack on their person, another person or their property, provided that the means of defense are proportional to the gravity of the attack. In this case, the person is not held criminally responsible for the harm that they may have caused in self-defense.[145]
- légitement
- legally[128]
- lettre de remission
- pardon[128]
- libération conditionnelle
- A sentence adjustment, under the supervision of the § juge de l'application des peines (sentence enforcement judge), for convicts who show serious efforts at social rehabilitation. Similar to parole, or early release for good behavior.[145]
- libération sur parole
- parole. A prisoner is paroled (French: libéré sur parole, lit. 'liberated on their word') when he is allowed to leave the place of detention under the sole condition of respecting certain commitments taken on honor. This term is mostly obsolete in modern France, except in some military contexts. It is similar to what is now called § libération conditionnelle.[146]
- liberté surveillée
- a security measure taken against a juvenile offender who is placed under the supervision of an educator appointed by the juvenile judge.[147][148]
- libre arbitre
- free will. A philosophical concept going back at least to Aristotle, and to Augustine in theological discussions about who has responsibility for evil acts. A person is said to have free will when they can, of their own volition, control their instincts and impulses, behave rationally, and act in accordance with moral and social laws. Classical criminological doctrine about guilt is based on this concept. From a legislative viewpoint, lawmakers generally presume that adults have free will, leaving it up to judges to determine how individual cases may depart from the general one. If they find that a § prévenu (acccused) was under some irresistible constraint that deprived them of free will, a judge may declare them not responsible, given that there is a § cause de non-imputabilité.[149] See moral responsibility, legal responsibility.
- lien de causalité
- causal link[128]
- lieu du crime
- scene of the crime [150]
- Usage notes:
- se dépêcher sur les lieux ⟶ to hasten to the scene of a crime[10]
- se transporter sur les lieux ⟶ to go to the scene of the crime
- loi
- A law. A written rule of general and impersonal scope. It applies to all without exception. It is discussed, drafted, amended and voted on by the Parlement (Assemblée nationale and Sénat) in identical versions. It is promulgated (signed) by the § Président de la République and published in the Journal officiel (JO).[145]
- loi du talion
- see § talion.
- loi Guigou
- see § loi sur la présomption d'innocence
- loi ordinaire
- a law second in importance, after § loi organique. An ordinary law voted on by Parliament regarding matters specifically ordained to it by the Constitution.[151] See also: § ordonnance, § règlement.
- loi organique
- in the hierarchy of laws, this is the most important of three;[151] a law relating to the Constitution.[152] See also: § loi ordinaire, § ordonnance, § règlement.
- loi sur la présomption d'innocence
- a law of 15 June 2000 which modified the criminal procedure code to protect the rights of individuals under investigation. It also created the new judicial post of § juge des libertés et de la détention.[153] It is mostly the creation of justice minister Élisabeth Guigou under the Jospin administration, and is also known as the loi Guigou.
M
- magistrat
- a career magistrate, who can be either a § magistrat debout (standing magistrate), i.e., the § parquet), or one of the sitting judges, either a § juge d'instruction or a trial judge.[79]
- magistrature assise
- trial judge. Also: juge du siège; literally, the "sitting" judiciary.[79]
- magistrature debout
- public prosecutors, collectively; branch of the judiciary which addresses the court on behalf of the § ministère public;[152] literally, 'standing judiciary'. See also: § parquet.
- magistrature du parquet
- public prosecutor's office; the prosecution.[128] See also § ministère public, § parquet, § procureur.
- magistrat instructeur
- See § juge d'instruction.
- magistrat répressif
- criminal court judge. See also: § répressif.
- maison centrale
- Prison for the most difficult convicts. The detention system is essentially focused on security.[100]
- maison d'arrêt
- A detention center that receives convicts whose sentence or remaining sentence is two years or less.[100]
- maladresse
- ineptitude[128]
- mandat
- an act or warrant by which a magistrate (usually a § juge d'instruction) orders a person to be summoned, arrested, or detained.[154][100]
- mandat d'amener – order given by a § juge d'instruction to any law enforcement officer to bring a person before them; including with the use of coercive measures if required.[154] Order given by the § juge d'instruction (investigating judge) to the police or § gendarmerie to immediately bring a person under investigation before him, including by force.[100]
- mandat d'arrêt – order given by a criminal court judge to any law enforcement officer to search for a person, arrest him or her and take him or her to a detention center[154][100]
- mandat de comparution – notice to appear before a § juge d'instruction on a certain day and time.[154] The decision of the § juge d'instruction (investigating judge) to give formal notice to an accused person (§ mise en examen) to appear before him. It is a written document delivered by a § huissier de justice (bailiff) or an § agent de la force publique (law enforcement officer).[100]
- mandat de dépôt – Order given by a magistrate to the head or director of a penitentiary to receive, or to keep in detention, a person under investigation.[100]
- mandat d'exécution – see § ordre d'exécution.
- mandat de perquisition – a "search warrant" does not exist in French law; this expression is only used when talking about foreign legal systems. Not to be confused with mandat de recherche.
- mandat de recherche – warrant which may be issued for a person for whom reasonable grounds exist that he may have committed an § infraction. It is the order given to § force publique (police) to search for the person in question and to take him into custody (placer en § garde à vue).[154] added in 2004.[155] Not to be confused with a "search warrant" in common law; see mandat de perquisition.
- maniement juridique
- judicial transfer[128]
- manoeuvre fraduleuse
- fraudulent tactic[128]
- manquement a une obligation de prudence ou de sécurité
- failure to fulfill an obligation of care or of security;[128]
- marque au fer rouge
- Literally, 'branding with a red hot iron';[128]branding. A type of corporal punishment under the Ancien régime.[91] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
- médiation pénale
- an alternative measure to criminal proceedings. At the suggestion of the public prosecutor, it brings together the perpetrator and the victim of a criminal offense in the presence of a third party mediator authorized by the justice system. It consists of finding a freely negotiated solution and defining the terms of reparation.
- mémoire
- brief; Written document addressed to the Court of Cassation or to the administrative courts in which the parties set out their respective claims and arguments.[100]
- menace
- threat[128]
- mesure de sûreté
- When a person is dangerous, the judge may decide to apply a penal sanction of a preventive nature, such as therapeutic treatment or placement under mobile electronic surveillance. (See PSEM).[100]
- mettre en cause
- call into question[156]
- milieu fermé
- lit. "closed environment". In a criminal justice context, "closed custody", "secure unit".[157]
- That portion of the prison administration that deals with convicts who remain detained until their term expires. Contrast § milieu ouvert.
- In the context of medical treatment: "in-patient";[157] in other contexts, a milieu fermé could be a ship, or a military regiment;[158]
- milieu ouvert
- lit. "open environment". In a criminal justice context, "open custody", "non-custodial", "open institution".[159]
- That portion of the prison administration system that deals with penalties other than incarceration, such as community service (§ travail d'intérêt général), a citizenship course (§ stage de citoyenneté), work-release (§ semi-liberté), house detention with electronic surveillance (§ bracelet électronique), parole, and others. Contrast: § milieu fermé.
- In the context of medical treatment: "out-patient".[159]
- mineur
- minor[128]
- ministère publique
- public prosecutor's office; the prosecution; see § magistrature du parquet, § parquet[128]
- Ministère de la Justice
- The Ministry of Justice is the ministry responsible for the administration of justice, and decides on reforms, and presents bills (§ projet de loi to Parliament. It defines criminal law policy in order to achieve equal treatment of citizens before the law, including monitoring public prosecutor's offices (§ Ministère public; § parquet), manages the courts, and appoints judicial officers—bailiffs (§ huissiers de Justice), notaries (notaires), solicitors (§ avoués), etc.[128][100]
- Ministère public
- The ministère public, also known as the § parquet,[137][115] is the authority which initiates § action publique (criminal proceedings) for § infractions (offenses) causing a disturbance to § ordre public (public order). It represents the interests of society before all courts of law.[137]
- The Public Prosecutor's Office. All magistrates working in the courts and tribunals of the § ordre judiciaire (judicial order), responsible for representing the interests of society and ensuring respect for public order and the application of the law. The § ministère public (Public Prosecutor's Office) is hierarchical (§ procureur général (public prosecutor), § procureur (public prosecutor), deputy public prosecutor (§ procureur-adjoint), vice-public prosecutor, and deputy public prosecutor) and subordinate to the Minister of Justice. It does not benefit from lifetime tenure. See § Procureur de la République, § Procureur général, § Poursuites (Prosecution).[100]
- mise en accusation
- bring charges.[128] A decision by the § juge d'instruction (investigating judge) or the investigating chamber to send a person § mise en examen (indicted) for a crime to the § cour d'assises for trial.[100]
- mise en danger deliberée de la personne d'autrui
- deliberately putting someone in danger[115]
- mise en examen
- A criminal charge against an accused (§ accusé) by the investigating judge § juge d'instruction that serious evidence exists making it probable that the accused may have participated, as perpetrator or accomplice, in the commission of an § infraction.[160] Compare indictment. The term mise en examen replaced the earlier § inculpation in 1993.
- mise en mouvement
- set in motion; initiation; launch
- la mise en mouvement de l'action publique ⟶ initiation of criminal proceedings.[161]
- mise en scène
- scheming[128]
- Usage note: in other contexts (notably theater): "staging", "stage design"
- mutilation
- mutilation. A type of corporal punishment under the Ancien régime.[163] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
N
- non-imputabilité
- absence of guilt. absence of criminal responsibility due to mental defect or duress.[117][12] See also: § causes de non-imputabilité, § élément moral, § aliénation mentale partielle.
- non-lieu
- Decision of an investigating court to put an end to criminal proceedings when it considers that an offense has not been established or that there is insufficient evidence against the perpetrator or accomplice of the offense; or when the accused is considered, for example, not to be criminally responsible at the time of the offense. No case to answer;[156] the abandonment of a judiciary action by a juge d'instruction when evidence from the § enquête (investigation) do not justify further action. See also: § classement sans suite, § opportunité des poursuites, § Irresponsabilité pénale) or when there is a justifying fact (e.g. § légitime défense).[164]
O
- obligation de soins
- court-ordered treatment.[126][127] See § injonction thérapeutique.
- officier ministériel
- A person holding an office conferred by the State and appointed by the decision of a minister. Ministerial officers include: solicitors at the courts of appeal, the bailiffs (§ huissiers de justice), the notaries (notaires), and the lawyers at the Council of State and at the Court of Cassation. Some of them are also public officers (§ officier public).[165]
- officier public
- Officers with the power to authenticate legal or judicial acts and to implement court decisions. Examples: notaries, bailiffs.[165]
- O.P.J.
- officiers de police judiciaire. See § police judiciaire. See also: § agent de police judiciaire.
- opportunité des poursuites
- Prosecutorial discretion. The right of the § procureur Public Prosecutor's Office, when a criminal offense is reported to it, to initiate or not to initiate public proceedings according to the particularities of the case, according to article 40-1 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.[166] Related terms: § classer sans suite, nolle prosequi. See also: § principe de legalité.
- opposition
- A civil or criminal remedy that allows people who have been judged by default to be tried again.[165]
- ordonnance
- A decision taken by a single judge, for example the § juge d'instruction, such as an order of release (§ ordonnance) or an order of dismissal (ordonnance de non-lieu). (In civil law, the ordonnance is only provisional.)[164] Under the ancien régime, a regulation issued by the king.[167] The least important of three types of law.[151] Compare: § arrêt, § décision de justice, § jugement, § relaxe. See also: § cour.
- In other contexts: many other meanings, including: a pharmaceutical prescription and many others. See also: § loi organique, § loi ordinaire, § règlement.
- ordonnance
- A simplified procedure for § contraventions (minor offenses) and certain § délits, particularly those related to automobile traffic. The § tribunal de police (police court) or the § tribunal correctionnel (criminal court) decides, by penal order whether or not to sentence the offender to a fine, or to certain penalties such as driving license suspension without the offender appearing in court.[164]
- ordre administratif
- The administrative order of jurisdiction is one of the two orders of jurisdiction in French law (the other being the § ordre judiciare–judicial order–and comprises administrative courts of first instance), administrative court of appeal, with the § Conseil d'État (Council of State) at the top.[84] See also § dualisme juridictionnel.
- ordre des avocats
- bar association.[156] Also known as barreau.
- ordre judiciare
- The judicial order of jurisdiction is one of the two orders of jurisdiction (§ dualisme juridictionnel) in French law—the other being the § ordre administratif (administrative order)—and comprises courts of first instance (§ tribunal de police, § tribunal correctionnel, § cour d'assises), court of appeal, and § Cour de cassation at the top.[84] See also § dualisme juridictionnel.
- public policy.[156] A set of rules governing life in society and enacted in the general interest. A rule is characterized as being about "public order" when it is mandatory and imposed for imperative reasons of protection, safety or morality. Persons may not transgress these rules in any way and may not exercise any rights which would otherwise be available to them if they violate them.[165]
- the social condition characterized by tranquility, public health, and safety.[168] Syn.: paix publique. See the Preamble to the 1848 Constitution, point IV[169] (in French, in English). See also: § police administrative.
;organ deliberant
- decision-making body[156]
P
- parquet
- The parquet is a collective term for § procureurs[79] or the public prosecutor's office; the prosecution.[115] It is a shorthand term used for § Ministère public.[137][79]
- partie civile
- A civil plaintiff in a criminal proceeding. This is a person who considers himself to be the victim of an § infraction (offense) for which an § action publique (criminal proceeding) has been initiated in the criminal courts, and who wishes to obtain compensation for his loss. This is a specific type of procedure in which a criminal proceeding and an § partie civile (civil proceeding) are combined, namely when a criminal prosecution also has a civil portion involving damages attached to it.
- This term also designates the procedure (the complaint by a civil party) allowing the victim to go either to the investigating judge or the competent court to obtain compensation.[170]
- peine
- the penalty or sanction imposed on the § auteur (perpetrator) of an § infraction (offense). They can be § peines criminelles (criminal penalties), or § peines correctionnelles correctional penalties.[171]
- peine accessoire
- an additional penalty automatically added to the § peine principale (main sentence); it cannot be imposed on its own, except when it is pronounced in place of the main sentence; it automatically follows from the main sentence. Since 2005, peine accessoires are prohibited by article 132-17 of the penal code.[171][172] Contrast § peine complémentaire.
- peine afflictive et infamante
- penal sanctions under the Ancien régime for punishing middle-level crimes not involving prison terms, and including § amende honorable (public confession), § pilori (pillory), § fouet (whipping), § flétrissure (branding), § galères (galleys), § mutilation, and § torture.
- peine afflictive (lit. 'afflictive punishment') – a penal sanction pronounced to plunge the convicted person into pain and sadness. While the penal code of 1810 still used this term, the 1993 Code ignores it.[173]
- peine infamante (lit. 'punishment of dishonor') - A punishment is considered to be § infamante (defamatory; degrading; dishonorable) when it is detrimental to the honor of the convicted person, and more precisely to the reputation he enjoys in society. Article 6 of the penal code of 1810 described banishment and degradation as simply dishonorable sentences. The current code does not use this term.[174]
- peine alternative
- A judge may substitute an alternative to a prison sentence or fine, such as § bracelet électronique (electronic monitoring), § travaux d'intérêt général (community service), or § suivi socio-judiciaire (socio-judicial follow-up) prison sentence.[171][175] Contrast § peine complémentaire.
- peine complémentaire
- an additional penalty[176] added to the main sentence and not merely implied by it (as is the case with § peine accessoire) it reinforces the main sentence and can be optional or mandatory.[171] It may apply to § crimes or § délits, and one or more additional penalties may be added to the main sentence.[177] Contrast § peine accessoire.
- peine contraventionnelle
- a penalty for a § contravention committed by a § personne physique (natural person). The main penalties are fines up to E3,750, divided into five classes[178] and can under certain circumstances be combined with § peines complémentaires.[179][180] Penalties for a § personne morale (legal person) are different, mainly a five-fold increase in the fine for a natural person.[181] [182] [171]
- peine correctionnelle
- a penalty for a § délit committed by a § personne physique (natural person).[183] The main penalties are imprisonment for two months to ten years,[184] and fines over E3,750.[185] The chief § peines alternatives (alternative penalties) are § détention à domicile (house arrest) under § surveillance électronique (electronic surveillance).[186][187] the § jour-amende[188] (day-fine), a workshop (stage) in citizenship, traffic school, drug usage, etc.[189] and certain other penalties restrictive of rights or freedom.[190][191][171]
- peine criminelle
- a penalty for a § crime committed by a § personne physique (natural person). The main penalties are custodial sentences (peines privatives de liberté)[171][192] Other possibilities are fines (amende), additional penalties (§ peines complémentaires).[193] Other penalties are defined for offenses committed by § personnes morales (legal persons).[171]
- peine principale
- the main penalty of the § infraction (offense); it can be pronounced alone and must be expressly stated in the decision.[171] For § personnes physiques (natural persons), the main penalties[183] are imprisonment on an eight-step scale from two months to ten years[194] and a fine greater than €3,750.[185][171] See § peine complémentaire, § peine accessoire.
- perquisition
- An investigative measure that consists of searching for evidence of an offense, at a person's home or in any location where it may be found.[170][195] In the context of a § enquête de flagrance investigation, the consent of the occupant and the decision of the § juge des libertés are not necessary; beyond that, the concept of a search warrant as used in U.S. or Canadian law does not exist in French law.
- personnalisation des peines
- See § individualisation des peines.
- personne morale
- A legal person.[170] An organization recognized as having a legal existence and that as such, holds rights and obligations (Example: a company, an association); Contrast: § personne physique.
- personne physique
- A natural person. A human being who is recognized as a § personnalité juridique (legal person), i.e., someone having the capacity to exercise a number of legal rights and to take legal action.
- personne publique
- A § personne morale (legal person) having a juridical status of § droit public conferred upon it by law. such as a municipality or a government department for example[142]
- pièce à conviction
- exhibit; evidence
- pilori
- Pillory. A type of public punishment under the Ancien régime.[196] See § peine afflictive et infamante.
- placement sous surveillance électronique (PSE)
- Electronic surveillance, such as an electronic bracelet, is a method of enforcing a prison sentence outside of a prison establishment. The bracelet, most often attached to the ankle, is an electronic transmitter that makes it possible to detect, at a distance, the presence or absence of the convicted person in a place and for a period previously determined in the context of the sentence.[170]
- placement sous surveillance électronique mobile (PSEM)
- A security measure that can be imposed for a period of two years as part of the § libération conditionnelle (conditional release) of a person sentenced to a long prison term for certain offenses. The bracelet électronique (electronic bracelet), is generally worn on the ankle, and is supplemented by a GPS device. The device is managed by the prison administration and makes it possible to verify the person's location and that they respect the obligations and prohibitions set by judicial authorities. It promotes reintegration into society (§ réinsertion) by providing support and monitoring compliance with the obligations set by the § juge de l'application des peines (probation judge).[170]
- plaignant
complainant
- point d'honneur
- any act or word that calls into question the honor of a person, to the point that he can not let the outrage go unpunished. In the past it was legitimate cause for a duel, but since dueling was prohibited, the sole arbiter for attacks on the moral integrity of a person is the courts.[198]
- Usage note (in other contexts):
- police administrative
- police involved with prevention of crime[115] (not part of criminal law). Contrast: § police judiciaire.
- police judiciaire
- Judicial police are police involved with criminal investigation.[115] Officers of the judicial police (O.P.J.) may include: mayors and their assistants, officers of the gendarmerie, inspectors general, deputy directors of active police, controllers general, police commissioners and police officers; senior civil servants of the police nationale (national police force), and directors or deputy directors of the judicial police or the gendarmerie.[137]
- porter plainte
- Literally: to bring a complaint. When notice of an § infraction (offense) is given to the police or to the § procureur (public prosecutor's office) by the victim of the offense, the term used is porter plainte.[55] Compare: § dénoncer.
- poursuite
- prosecution, in the sense of poursuite judiciaire[200]
- Usage note: in other contexts, it means "pursuit", or "continuation" (non-legal sense).
- pourvoi en cassation
- to appeal to the § Cour de cassation or the § conseil d'Etat (Council of State).[90]
- cause de pourvoi ⟶ grounds for appeal[201]
- former un pourvoi ⟶ appeal; lodge an appeal; appeal against[90]
- pouvoir exécutif
- the government;[202] the executive branch of the government (lit. "executive power")
- préjudice
- injury; Damage to a person's property, body, feelings or honor. There are four types:[203]
- préjudice d'agrément (of enjoyment) – : the damage that results, generally following a bodily injury, from the deprivation of the enjoyment of certain acts of everyday life, such as the exercise of an artistic activity, a leisure activity, or a sport.
- préjudice corporel (bodily injury) – injury to the health or physical or mental integrity of a person. Example: wound, infirmity.
- préjudice matériel (material damage) – Damage to property. Example: dégâts, damage, physical deterioration, loss of income.
- préjudice moral (emotional or psychological harm) – damage of a psychological nature. Example: suffering linked to the loss of a loved one.
- In common speech, a synonym for dommage (damages; a term from civil law), but legally distinct.
- prescription
- limitation period;[10] statute of limitations. Elapsed time after which no proceedings may be instituted against the § auteur (perpetrator) of an § infraction (offense): ten years for a § crime, three years for a § délit, and one year for a § contravention. Terms are longer for offenses against minors.[170][204] Also known as prescription de l'action publique.
- présomption d'innocence
- Presumption of innocence. Any person suspected of having committed an § infraction (offense), or under prosecution, shall be considered innocent of the acts of which he stands accused, as long as he has not been found guilty by the court with the appropriate jurisdiction (§ compétent) to judge him.[205] See also article 9 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and article 1 of the penal code.[9] According to the European Convention on Human Rights, anyone accused of an § infraction is presumed to be without blame as long as his § culpabilité (guilt) hasn't been legally and definitively established.[206][207]
- prévenu
- The accused person suspected or accused of an § infraction of a less serious type (i.e., § délit, § contravention). Compare § accusé.
- principe à valeur constitutionnelle
- any principle identified by the Conseil constitutionnel (Constitutional Council (France)) as having constitutional force, and consequently binding on the legislature as well as on other institutions of state.[208] See also § bloc de constitutionnalité.
- principe de légalité
- The principle of legality is one of the most fundamental principles of French criminal law and holds that no one may be convicted of a criminal offense without a prior published legal text describing the offense and the penalty.[209][210] Latin: Nullum crimen, nulla pœna sine lege, lit. 'no crime, no penalty, without a law'.
- principe d'opportunité des poursuites
- See § opportunité des poursuites.
- procédure accusatoire et contradictoire
- The adversarial system (or, "adversarial law"), is a system of justice whose rules of procedure are based on the parties to the litigation. Thus, the lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant are responsible for presenting their version of the facts and convincing the judge or jury of the merits of their case.
- procédure inquisitoire
- Inquisitorial system. A legal system in which the court is actively involved in investigating the facts of the case. Contrast § procédure accusatoire et contradictoire.[211]
- procès-verbal (PV)
- In legal context: a legal act drawn up by a public official, usually a § greffier, that transcribes findings, statements, reports, or a situation. Examples: notes about an investigation, or a seizure)[212][213]
- In other contexts: minutes; record; transcript.[214]
Q
- qualification judiciaire
- Qualification judiciaire (lit.: 'judicial qualification') is a process of reasoning that seeks to establish that the particular acts which the suspect is accused of fall within the scope of a legal charge and therefore constitute a criminal offense which is within the jurisdiction of the criminal courts. The procedure consists of bridging the gap between the facts, and the law, to determine whether the de facto situation can be matched with some legal notion, and that the facts alleged by the prosecutor correspond in every respect to acts incriminated by the legislature.[215]
- Usage note: no established translation in English; terms seen include: penal qualification, penal categorization, penal status, to be criminal in nature, criminal qualification, classified as criminal, to be a matter for criminal law.
- qualifié
- "aggravating", when used with some crimes. The term crime qualifié or délit qualifié (roughly, "aggravated felony") is used to refer to an offense when there is an aggravating circumstance. Parricide, for example, is a felony murder;[216] similarly, a vol qualifié (lit., "aggravated theft") is "armed robbery" or "aggravated robbery".
- Usage notes:
- In judgments by magistrates, the expression majorité qualifiée is used when a legislator requires a supermajority of 2/3.
- In non-legal context, qualifié de means "characterized as" (or "by"), or "described as"; as a simple adj. or past participle, qualifié means "qualified", as in English.
- quiconque
- anyone who; everyone who; whoever. Used legally to emphasize that it applies to everyone, without exception. Judges use the term a lot for this reason, because it underlines the principle of § égalité devant la loi (equality before the law). [215]
R
- rappel à la loi
- a warning; a reminder of the law as an alternative to prosecution.[46][217] In the case of a minor infraction, the § ministère public (Public Prosecutor) can order a reminder of the law. The aim is to make the offender aware that they committed an illegal act, in order to prevent them from reoffending.[76][218]
- récidive
- A previously convicted individual who commits, under certain conditions and within a certain period of time, a new offense that may result in a heavier sentence than usual.[76]
- réclusion
- imprisonment[77]
- réclusion criminelle
- imprisonment[77]
- réclusion criminelle à perpétuité
- life imprisonment[77]
- reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité
- See § comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité.
- règlement
- a regulation issued by the executive power[151] See also: § loi organique, § loi ordinaire. There are two types:
- In other contexts: many other meanings, including "payment".
- réhabilitation
- A measure which erases a criminal conviction. It ends all forfeitures or limitations on the exercise of individual rights resulting from the conviction. It is acquired either after the expiration of the time limits prescribed by law, or by a decision of the investigating chamber in response to a request made by the convicted person.[76]
- relaxe
- Decision of a § tribunal correctionnel (criminal court) or a § tribunal de police (police court) to declare a defendant not guilty[219][76] either because he is innocent, or because there was a reasonable doubt.[220] Also: § acquittement. Compare: § arrêt, § décision de justice, § jugement, § ordonnance. See also: § cour.
- remise
- handing over[77]
- renvoi
- Postponement of a hearing to another date.[221]
- répressif
- The term French: droit répressif, lit. 'repressive law' is another term for criminal law. tribunaux répressifs, are courts that deal with stopping (repressing) criminal activity after it happens. Contrast with administrative law, tasked with preventing criminal activity, rather than repressing it.
- réprimer
- to incriminate[77]
- réquisitions
- Written or oral conclusions taken in the interest of society that the public prosecutor presents before the criminal court to justify the guilt of a defendant and the sentence requested. [76][222]
- Usage note: Also used in forms of the verb requérir, such as requis: Le procureur a requis une peine de 1 an de prison avec sursis. ⟶ The prosecutor has requested a suspended sentence of 1 year in prison.[76]
- réquisitoire
- a formal submission (by the prosecution)[223]
- réquisitoire introductif
- application for judicial investigation[77][224] One of the ways that the § procureur can initiate criminal proceedings (§ action publique), in particular, via § citation directe.
- Written arguments by which the § ministère public (public prosecutor) asks the judge to apply the criminal law to a defendant or an accused person under investigation (mise en examen).[76] See also § requete.
- résolution de mise en accusation
- decision to bring charges[77]
- responsabilité pénale
- Criminal responsibility
- the scope or extent of a court's jurisdiction in terms of the geography and nature of the disputes assigned to it by law.[76] For example, the correctional court cannot try an offense committed outside its ressort and for which the perpetrator does not live in that region.[225]
- A court decision is said to be "en dernier ressort" (final) if it can no longer be appealed.
- rétention de sûreté
- detention of dangerous offenders beyond the term of their sentence.[226]
- rétroactivité
- the characteristic of a legal norm that regulates situations that arose before its adoption.
- révision
- An appeal against a conviction that allows a case to be retried in light of new facts or elements unknown at the time of the initial trial that could rule out the guilt of the convicted person.[76]
- rogatoire
- See § commission rogatoire.
- ruse
- fraud[77]
S
- saisine
- Submission of a request to a jurisdiction, requiring a response in the form of a decision. Can be formulated as a § citation, § requête, or declaration to a § greffe.[227] Example: reporting a § flagrant délit (crime in progress).
- saisir
- In non-legal context, saisir simply means: "seize", "grab", "grasp".
- In legal context, there are many meanings, such as "confiscate", which are directly related to the non-legal sense; these are straightforward, and not explained here. However, there is one sense of saisir in legal context that occurs frequently and has no universally accepted single translation in English; the rest of this entry concerns this sense, corresponding to CNRTL sense II., A (law), 2.,[228] and concerns a request made by an individual to an authority like a judge or a court to do something;[228] or to refer a matter to a court.[229]
- The general form for this sense is: Person + saisit + Authority + Of (de, d'un, d'une) + Request, with these four parts:
- subject: someone (a person, plaintiff, etc.) or institution who is the requester, i.e., the one who applies to or requests something (optional)
- form of verb saisir (required)
- object: someone or something in authority who may grant or act on a request: the judge, the court, the tribunal, etc. (required)
- the request, usually as a prep. phrase with de, pour, etc. (optional)
- Annotated examples:
- La mère saisit le juge d'une demande de garde concernant les quatre enfants.
- The mother[subj] applies to[saisit] the court[obj] for custody of all four children[request].
- La mère saisit le juge d'une demande de garde concernant les quatre enfants.
- Le parquet a saisi le juge d'instruction du premier cabinet pour qu'il instruise l'affaire et délivre un mandat de dépôt contre les inculpés.
- The prosecutor[subj] instructed[saisit] the examining magistrate of the first chamber[obj] to investigate the case[request-1] and issue arrest warrants for the accused[request-2].
- Le parquet a saisi le juge d'instruction du premier cabinet pour qu'il instruise l'affaire et délivre un mandat de dépôt contre les inculpés.
- How to translate saisir depends a lot on context, and may use terms like "apply to", "take to", "go to", "bring before", "approach", "request", "refer to", "submit", or other expressions, and the word order in English may be different:
- saisir le juge aux affaires familiales ⟶ refer the matter to the judge for family affairs
- le droit constitutionnel de saisir le juge ⟶ the constitutional right to go to court
- il était loisible de saisir le juge ⟶ it was possible to bring the case before the judge
- saisir le Tribunal d'une ordonnance de cesser et de s'abstenir ⟶ bring a cease and desist order before the Court
- Toute personne qui objecte à cette ordonnance peut saisir le tribunal. ⟶ Anyone who objects to the order has recourse to the court.
- Le médiateur peut également saisir le Tribunal constitutionnel ⟶ The Ombudsman can also submit cases to the Constitutional Court.
- Les travailleurs victimes de discrimination peuvent saisir le tribunal de travail ⟶ Workers who are victims of discrimination may apply to the Labor Tribunal.
- In the passive, the pattern uses the participial form saisi and inverted word order, often with optional parts missing:
- le juge saisi de l'affaire ⟶ (lit.) "the judge applied to/requested [by someone] regarding the case", or in more usual English word order: "the judge handling the case", or, "the judge on the case"
- la décision du juge saisi de la requête ⟶ the judge for the motion
- There is no exact translation for saisit (or in past participle form, saisi) in English, and how it appears in English translation is highly variable, and depends on the context (and the translator). Sometimes the best translation involves leaving the word out entirely. Also, the order of the elements is not always the same, and the request often comes before the authority-object.
- ANF avait saisi le Juge d'Instruction de Marseille d'une plainte avec constitution de partie civile concernant des faits supposés par l'ancien fournisseur... ⟶ ANF[subj] had filed[saisir] a complaint[request] with the Marseilles investigating magistrate[obj] bringing civil action against alleged acts committed by the supplier...
- The request can be omitted, so just the subject, verb saisir, and object are present. In the abstract, the subject may be omitted:
- Saisir le tribunal; saisir la justice. ⟶ Going to[saisir] court[obj]; seeking[saisir] justice[obj]. Other translations include: bring legal proceedings, initiate a court case, file a case, go to court, refer [the case] to court.
- Usage notes:
- The form saisi des faits is often seen, and translation depends on context. The word faits means "facts", and depending on whether "saisi des faits" is a syntactic constituent in the sentence, the word "facts" may or may not appear in English translation. A literal translation of the passive construction might be: "[an authority] who had been applied to [by someone, unstated] with the facts [of an unstated (legal) request]"; but in free translation, this might come out simply as "[the judge] on the case", and may be expressed very differently in specific contexts. Some examples:[230]
- La cause peut alors être entendue par un tribunal de compétence provinciale, qui est saisi des faits par un procureur de la Couronne.
- ⟶ The case would then proceed within the provincial jurisdiction to a crown attorney, who takes the facts to court.
- En d'autres termes, [il] doit être saisi et considérer des faits nouveaux ou contestés pour confirmer une décision effective au client.
- ⟶ In other words, [he] must be involved and must consider new or contested facts in order to confirm an actual ruling to the client. Note: not a syntactic constituent; must use the word facts here.
- il se peut qu'il en arriverait à une conclusion différente s'il était saisi des mêmes faits aujourd'hui.
- ⟶ if the same facts were before it today, with that Code available to it as an adjudicative tool, it might arrive at a different conclusion. Not a constituent.
- Le procureur européen, informé ou saisi de l'ensemble des faits, ne poursuivrait alors qu'au titre de l'infraction communautaire...
- ⟶ The European Public Prosecutor, receiving information or a referral, would prosecute only the Community offence...
- La cause peut alors être entendue par un tribunal de compétence provinciale, qui est saisi des faits par un procureur de la Couronne.
- sanction pénale
- criminal sanctions; sentence; penalty.
- sanction-réparation
- A "reparation sanction": is an alternative sentence which obliges the perpetrator to repair the damage caused to the victim through financial compensation or reparation in kind.[231]
- scellés
- 1. an order that evidence be placed under seal. Also refers to the practice of a wax seal to an item.[227]
- Usage notes: in legal terminology, almost always plural. In the singular, it refers to the sealing material itself, such as wax.
- placé sous scellé ⟶ placed under seal
- 2. The part of the § greffe (judicial registry) where evidence is stored.[227]
- 3. Other meanings apply in civil law, having to do with sealing off buildings, rooms, etc. Breaking such a seal duly placed by civil authorities is punishable under criminal law.[227]
- sciemment
- knowingly[77]
- semi-liberté
- day parole; day release; semi-liberty. A criminal sanctions program that authorizes a convicted person to carry out activity outside the prison, which may be professional activity, schooling, or medical treatment. At the end of each day, the convict returns to the detention center.[227]
- signification
- An act by which a party brings to the attention of his adversary an act or a decision of justice by means of a § huissier de justice (judicial officer).[227]
- soustraction
- appropriation[77]
- stage de formation civique
- A civic education training workshop is an educational measure aimed at reminding minors of the obligations resulting from the law, as well as making them aware of civil and criminal responsibilities and the duties involved in living in society. The minor is reminded of all these notions during short group training sessions relating to social organization or civic values for a duration not to exceed 30 hours.[227]
- stupéfiant
- drug[77] See also § cession de stupéfiants
- suivi socio-judiciaire
- Socio-judicial supervision is a measure pronounced by the § tribunal correctionnel (criminal court) or the § cour d'assizes against the perpetrator of a § crime or § délit (major or serious offense) of a sexual nature.[227][232] This measure allows for judicial and optionally also medical follow-up after the prison sentence has been served. It forces the convicted person to submit, under the supervision of the § juge de l'application des peines to measures of surveillance and assistance as well as to certain obligations, such as the prohibition on going to certain places, or to be around minors.[227][233][126] Failure to comply is grounds for reimprisonment.[227][234] May also be a stand-alone sentence. No universally recognized term in English; some terms seen are: socio-judicial surveillance, socio-judicial supervision, or probation.[235][234] See also: § peine alternative.
- supplice
- torture[77]
- sursis
- sursis simple suspended sentence
- sursis avec mise à l'épreuve with certain conditions such as geographic restrictions or interaction restrictions
- surveillance
- supervision[77]
- surveillance électronique
- A § peine alternative (alternative penatly) such as a § bracelet électronique;[186][187] See § placement sous surveillance électronique.[170][171]
T
- talion, loi du
- law of retaliation[77] Originally, and dating to the Code of Hammurabi, it restricts a victim from taking vengeance in a disproportionate manner; "an eye for an eye".[236]
- témoin assisté
- represented witness[77]
- an intermediate witness status, between that of a simple § témoin (witness) and someone § mis en examen (criminally charged); introduced in 1987, later included in the § loi sur la présomption d'innocence. This is a person who is listed as a witness, but at the same time is named either in the § réquisitoire introductif or in the initial complaint by the victim. Because of their status as a possible suspect, the law requires them to be heard only in presence of their lawyer.[238][239]
- A person who is the subject of a complaint, accused or prosecuted by the § Parquet (Public Prosecutor's Office), against whom there are some clues (insufficient for an indictment) that make it likely that he or she has committed a crime or an offense. His lawyer has access to the case file. When heard by the investigating judge, the assisted witness may ask to be confronted with the person or persons implicating him. If the judge considers that the witness should be placed under judicial supervision or in pre-trial detention, or be referred to the criminal court or the assize court to be tried, he or she will then proceed with the examination.[237]
- tentative
- attempt[77]
- A § crime or § délit interrupted in act by an event beyond the control of its perpetrator. The attempt is punishable by the same penalties as if the offense had been fully carried out.[240]
- Usage notes:
- torture
- torture.[77] A type of punishment used in the Ancien régime.[241] See also: § supplice, § peine afflictive et infamante.
- travail d'intérêt général (TIG)
- community service;[77] carrying out unpaid work, within a specified time, for the benefit of a public body or an approved association, as part of a sentence by an adult or juvenile court.[205] One of several alternative penalties that are sometimes ordered instead of incarceration.[231]
- travaux forcés
- Penal labor; forced labor as a judicial punishment.
- tribunal
- court;[77] a court composed of one or more judges, charged with settling disputes and rendering a § décision de justice (legal judgment).[237]
- tribunal correctionnel
- a court of first instance, responsible for judging § délits (major offenses). If necessary, it rules on the request for compensation made by the victim (called the § partie civile (civil party))[77][237]
- tribunal de police
- a court that tries minor offenses;[77] a court of first instance, ruling with a single judge. It judges 5th class offenses. The police court is the criminal court of the § tribunal d'instance (district court).[237]
- tribunal des conflits
- A high jurisdiction made up equally of magistrates from the § ordre administratifand § ordre judiciaire (administrative and judicial orders), whose mission is to resolve conflicts of jurisdiction between the courts of the judicial order and those of the administrative order. For example: these two orders claim to be simultaneously competent or incompetent for the same case.[237]
- tribunal répressif
- criminal court[77]
- tuer
- to kill[77] See § homicide.
UV
- valeur constitutionnelle
- See § principe à valeur constitutionnelle.
- verdict
- A solemn declaration by which the magistrates and § juré (jurors) of the § cour d'assises answer the question of the guilt of a defendant, and set the sentence, if any. The verdict can be an § acquittement (acquittal), or a § condamnation (guilty verdict).[203]
- victime
- victim.[242] A person who personally and directly suffers a physical, moral or material § préjudice (injury).[203]
- viol
- rape;[242] In the classic sense, rape consists in the fact of a man having a carnal relationship with a non-consenting woman, or in circumstances where she cannot manifest her § volonté (will).[243]
- violation
- breach;[242] violation. In the former sense, compare § effraction. In the latter sense, can be a synonym for § infraction (offense).
- violer
- to breach;[242] to rape.
- visite domiciliaire
- house search[242]
- voie de fait
- offense of violence[242]
- Note: has an entirely different meaning in administrative law.
- volontairement
- intentionally[242]
- volonté
- will; [242] In criminal law, volonté (will) is a firm and definite determination in a person's mind to do something that will have an effect in the outside world. The term § intention indicates the purpose for which the will is directed.[245]
WXYZ
- X
- X represents an unknown person, a 'John Doe', used in a criminal complaint when the name of the person is not known.
- Usage note: plainte contre X ⟶ a complaint against 'X'.[197] Analogous to a "John Doe defendant", or a John Doe lawsuit.
See also
References
- Notes
- The term action publique is translated in various ways in English sources, depending on context. The literal, word-for-word translation is "public action", which if used, is used with an explanation, as it has little meaning in English, outside the literal translation of this concept of French law. What the term action publique actually refers to is "criminal proceedings", or "public prosecution", which itself can be confusing unless one understands that it is the public prosecutor (procureur) who is responsible for prosecutions carried out on behalf of society, and thus the term procureur is generally rendered in English as "public prosecutor", or generically as the "public prosecutor's office". An equivalent term for procureur is § ministère public, rendered in English sources sometimes as "Public ministry" and sometimes left in the original French.
- There is no agreement in English sources about how to refer to délit in English. The tripartite division of infractions in French law does not line up well with concepts in common law, and translations of délit into English vary. For further details, see French criminal law.
- There is no general agreement among English sources about how to represent this term in English. At least one source (adjacent) uses this term.
- French legal language and expression tends to be a lot more abstract than usage in common law, including widespread use of metonymy and synecdoche. Examples include terms like § le juge, which may refer to all courts in general, or le législateur, which may mean the law-making body more generally. While one becomes familiar with some usage in time after reading French jurisprudence and other legal texts, sometimes this type of language may leave the intended meaning unclear to all but experts in French law. Where a French text refers to "le juge des saisies", even after carefully studying the context, it might mean: a) all courts which have the right to rule on questions of distraint of property; b) one particular court having this power; c) all courts which have the specific power to order distraints; or d) one such court. This type of abstract use of language can be problematic when reading French jurisprudence.[lower-alpha 5]
- Cairns & McKeon 1995, p. 22.
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[Action publique is the legal proceeding brought before a criminal court for the application of penalties to the perpetrator of an offense. It may also be initiated by a civil party to a criminal case, but it is always exercised by the magistrates or by the civil servants to whom it is entrusted by law.]
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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[A principle of constitutional force is a principle identified by the Constitutional Council, the respect of which is binding on the legislator as well as on the other organs of the State. It is a legal norm in its own right.]
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[The question of the application of criminal law with respect to time arises when acts have been committed and have not yet been finally judged when a new law comes into force.]
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[The French courts are divided into two orders: a judicial order and an administrative order. The courts of the judicial order are responsible for settling disputes between private individuals and for punishing the perpetrators of criminal offenses. ... The administrative courts have jurisdiction as soon as a public entity is involved (a municipality or a government department for example).]
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- French Ministry of Justice (2 January 2015). "Justice / Métiers et concours / Juge d'instruction" [Justice / Professions and competitions / Investigating judge]. Ministère de la Justice (in French).
- Meijer, Sonja; Annison, Harry; O'Loughlin, Ailbhe, eds. (27 June 2019). Fundamental Rights and Legal Consequences of Criminal Conviction. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5099-2098-3.
- Sauvé, Jean-Marc (28 September 2016). "Le dualisme juridictionnel : synergies et complémentarité" [Jurisdictional dualism: synergies and complementarity] (in French). Conseil d'État. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
Further reading
- Body-Gendrot, Sophie; Hough, Mike; Kerezsi, Klara, eds. (15 August 2013). The Routledge Handbook of European Criminology. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-18549-6. OCLC 895776051.
- Cao, Deborah (12 April 2007). Translating Law. Bristol: Multilingual Matters. ISBN 978-1-84769-537-6. OCLC 1064570757.
- French Ministry of Justice (2023). "Lexique | Justice.fr" [Glossary | Justice.fr]. Ministère de la Justice (in French).
- Glanert, Simone; Legrand, Pierre (21 February 2013). "Foreign Law in Translation: If Truth Be Told". In Freeman, Michael; Smith, Fiona (eds.). Law and Language: Current Legal Issues Volume 15. OUP Oxford. pp. 513–532. ISBN 978-0-19-967366-7. OCLC 1120355164.
External links
- Lexique Des Termes Juridiques Fr-En IBJ Criminal Defense Wiki (Geneva)
- Glossary of English/French/Spanish Legal Terms 41 pages; Defense Wiki
- List of law dictionaries
- IATE European Union Terminology - search engine and translator
- EU Vocabularies - search engine and translator
- e-Justice
- Dictionnaire du droit privé - browse or search; results link long, detailed articles on each term
Canadian sources:
- Lexique français-anglais jurisource.ca; 124 pages
- Lexique anglais-français jurisource.ca; 146 pages
- Justice of Canada - a few dozen links to dictionaries and glossaries
- Dictionnaires de droit prive McGill - browse/search, with definition, antonym, and translation
- Lexiques et dictionnaires - dozens of links
