Glossary of French criminal law

This glossary of French criminal law is a list of definitions related to concepts in French criminal law and related fields.

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) are generally not included, unless they have repercussions for the criminal code.

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. This article (and all articles at Wikipedia) are covered by this legal disclaimer; please read it.

Style

Each entry consists of a bolded headword containing one French expression, followed by an indented section with a translated equivalent or definition of the term. Headwords appear as they would 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; if so, then the headword appears in blue and is linked directly to the French Wikipedia article. 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 a link to another term appearing on the page.

Glossary

A

à huis clos

in camera

à perpetuité

life; for life

à temps

fixed term

accusatoire

adversarial

accusé

The accused person (or defendant, or suspect) suspected or accused of an § infraction of a serious type (i.e., a § crime). Compare § prévenu.

acte de barbarie

inhumane act

action publique

public prosecution; criminal proceedings. 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 (French Criminal Code).

Usage note: déclencher l'action publique ⟶ to institute criminal proceedings

administration penitentiaire

prison service

affaire

case

agent de police judiciaire

police officer; judicial police officers of the § Police nationale (National Police (France)), or gendarmes of the § Gendarmerie nationale (National Gendarmerie)

agir sous l'empire de

act under the influence of

agissements incriminés

criminal conduct

alinéa

paragraph

amende honorable

public confession, apology

appel

an appeal. The § appelant (also 'appelant' in English) is the party who is appealing, while the § intimé (respondent) is party who is the defendant in the appeal proceeding

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.

arme

weapon

arrestation

arrest

association de malfaiteurs

conspiracy (or, when referring to the § auteurs, co-conspirators)

atteinte

attack

attendu que

whereas

audience

(court) hearing

auteur

principal offender, defendant

auteur intellectuel

see § auteur moral

auteur matériel

principal offender

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.

autorité legitime

legitimate authority

avertir les autorités judiciaires

to alert the legal authorities

B

bande organisée

organized gang

bien

property

bien incorporel

intangible property See also: Bien incorporel et bien corporel (in French)

blanchiment

money laundering; also, whitewashing, and in non-legal context: bleaching

bloc de constitutionnalité

bon père de famille

reasonable person; a bonus pater familias, reasonable man

bourreau

state executioner

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).

carcan

an iron collar placed around the neck of a § condamné (prisoner) and fixed to a pillory, a symbol of § haute justice in medieval France (See Wiktionary)

casier judiciaire

criminal record. A record of criminal convictions stored at the National Criminal Record Office of the Ministry of Justice in Nantes.

cassation

Reversal by the § Cour de cassation or by the § Conseil d’Etat of a judicial decision rendered contrary to the rules of law.

cause de non-imputabilité

defense which is directly linked to the defendant; excuse

céder

to supply

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.

centre de semi-liberté

A prison which houses convicts admitted under the § régime de semi-liberté (semi-liberty regime).

cession de stupéfiants

a supply of drugs

Chambre correctionelle

Criminal Division (of the § Tribunal correctionnel, § Tribunal de grande instance, or § Cour d'assises)

Usage note: in larger jurisdictions, numbered to distinguish one from another, as in, le n^e chambre correctionalle ⟶ "the n^th 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

Chambre de l'instruction

name given to the old § Chambre d'accusation following the law of 15 June 2000 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).

coauteur

a joint principal; based on the idea of a joint endeavor, in which two or more people involved in an act are 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 de procédure pénale (CPP)

French Code of Criminal Procedure. The legal code which covers all aspects of French criminal procedure.

Code de procédure pénale (CPP)

French Code of Criminal Procedure. The legal code which covers all aspects of French criminal procedure.

commetre

to commit

complice

accomplice;

complicité correspective

analysis in which the § coauteur (joint principal) is also ispo facto an accomplice

complot

conspiracy (see also: § association de malfaiteurs)

condamnation

conviction

condamné

convicted person

confiscation d'un objet

confiscation of an asset

consentement

Consent

consommation

commission (in non-legal contexts: consumption, intake, use of)

contrainte

constraint

contravention

A non-criminal offense (such as a parking ticket) is a minor offense 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.

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.

coupable (adj.)

guilty

coupable (n.)

guilty person

coups et blessures volontaires

crime of intentionally injuring another

Cour d'appel

court of appeal

Cour d'assises

court that tries serious offenses

Cour d'assises de mineurs

court that tries serious offenses by minors

Cour de cassation

court that hears final appeals on points of law only

crime

serious offense; serious crime; 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.

crime contre l'humanite

crime against humanity

crime de guerre

war crime

culpabilité

guilt

D

déchéance

disqualification 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.

décision de justice

A written summary of the case, representing the resolution adopted by the court and the reasoning that led to it.

décolation

decapitation

défendeur

defendant

se deféndre

to defend oneself

défit

wrongful conduct

délai de prescription

See § prescription.

délit

A lesser criminal offense, which is judged by a § tribunal correctionnel (correctional court). It is of intermediate seriousness between a § contravention and a § crime. The maximum sentence is ten years, minimum is a 3750 Euro fine.

délit

major offense; intermediate offense

Any offence in the broad sense. In the legal sense, an offence punishable as a principal offence by a correctional sentence such as imprisonment for a maximum of 10 years, a fine, community service (§ travail d'intérêt général), a citizenship course (§ stage de citoyenneté), or additional penalties.

délit materièl

a major offense which only requires as a mens rea that the defendant's conduct be voluntary

[[:fr:Déni de justice en droit français|déni de justice]]

miscarriage of justice; refusal of a jurisdiction to judge a case. Contrast: § principe d'opportunité.

se dépêcher sur les lieux

to hasten to the scene of a crime

déportation

deportation

déposition

Testimony given before a court, magistrate, gendarme or police officer.

Usage note: déposer en justice ⟶ to give evidence in court

détention

detention

[[:fr:Détention provisoire|détention provisoire]]

remand in custody.

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.

détenu

A person incarcerated in a penitentiary by court order.

detournement de fonds

embezzlement;

Usage note: détourner ⟶ to misappropriate; détournement ⟶ misappropriation

diligences

care

dispositif

court's finding (stated at the end of the decision)

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.

dol

fault;

a fraudulent scheme to deceive another person in order to obtain their consent Compare confidence game.

dol aggravé

additional mens rea beyond § dol général or § dol spécial special intention;

dol dépassé

the repercussions of the act go beyond the intention of, or the foreseeable outcome by the defendant

dol éventuel

oblique or indirect intention

dol général

Deliberate commission of a criminal act, while having foreknowledge that the act is prohibited by law and has criminal sanctions.

dol imprécis

See § dol indéterminé.

dol indéterminé

where a person acts intending a certain result, but without being able to foresee the actual outcome

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.

droit

1. law: a set of rules governing life in society.
2. right (as in, the right to do something; human rights): the prerogatives attributed to an individual.

droit positif

Positive law

droit privé

All the rules that concern the acts and lives of individuals or of [[#Personne morale|personnes morales]] (legal persons; i.e., private legal entities, such as companies or associations). 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. Contrast: § droit privé.

E

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. 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. Also known as § élément intellectuel, and § élément psychologique. Contrast: § élément matériel. See also: § dol général, § dol spécial.

élément psychologique

Another name for § élément moral

enquête de flagrance

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

an investigation by the judicial police

enquête de police

police investigation

F

Force obligatoire du contrat

Binding force of the contract

G

term in French

description

garde à vue (GAV)

arrest; police custody; covered in § CPP article 62-2.

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"

Gendarmerie Nationale

National Gendarmerie

H

term in French

description

I

term in French

description

inculpation

See § mise en examen.

infraction

conduct prohibited by the criminal law and punishable by a penalty specified in the law. Infractions are divided into three categories: § contravention, § délit, and § crime. See § sanction penale.

instruction

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.

J

juge d'instruction

Investigating judge. In charge of the most complex criminal cases (mandatory for § crimes (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.

jugement

Ruling, judgement, decision

K

term in French

description

L

term in French

description

M

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.

Ministère public

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).

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. Compare indictment. The term mise en examen replaced the earlier § inculpation in 1993.

N

{{br}

term in French

description

O

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 CPP. Related terms: § classer sans suite, nolle prosequi. See also: § principe de legalité.

ordre public

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.

the social condition characterized by tranquility, public health, and safety. Syn.: paix publique. See the Preamble to the 1848 constitution, point IV (in French), (in English). See also: § police administrative.

P

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 § action 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.

peine afflictive et infamante

description needed

personne morale

An organization recognized as having a legal existence and that as such, holds rights and obligations (Example: a company, an association); a legal person. 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.

prévenu

The accused person suspected or accused of an § infraction of a less serious type (i.e., § délit, § contravention). Compare § accusé.

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 published legal text describing the offense and the penalty. Latin: Nullum crimen, nulla pœna sine lege, lit. 'no crime, no penalty, without a law'.

principe d'opportunité des poursuites

See § opportunité des poursuites.

Private international law

See § choice of law.

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.

Q

term in French

description

R

responsabilité

description

S

term in French

description

T

tribunal

A court composed of one or more judges, charged with settling disputes and rendering a § décision de justice (legal judgment).

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)

tribunal de police

a court that tries minor offenses; 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).

tribunal répressif

criminal court

U

term in French

description

V

Vice du consentement

dol, error or violence

See also

• Administrative police (France)
• Glossary of the French Revolution
• Glossary of law

• Judiciary of France#Glossary
• Legal history of France

References

Notes

Citations

Works cited

• "Application de la loi pénale dans le temps | Fiches d'orientation" [Application of the law in time | Fact sheet]. Dalloz (in French). Paris: Editions Dalloz. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021. La question de l'application de la loi pénale dans le temps se pose dès lors que des faits ont été commis et n'ont pas encore été définitivement jugés lors de l'entrée en vigueur d'une loi nouvelle. [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.]
• Dammer, Harry R.; Albanese, Jay S. (4 January 2013). Comparative Criminal Justice Systems (5 ed.). Cengage Learning. pp. 149–. ISBN 978-1-285-63077-9. OCLC 828929176.

• Doucet, Jean-Paul (11 April 2019). "Dictionnaire de droit criminel" [Dictionary of Criminal Law] (in French). Archived from the original on 7 January 2023.

• Elliott, Catherine (2001). French Criminal Law. Portland OR: Willan. ISBN 978-1-135-99307-8. OCLC 49494876.

• République française; Secrétariat général du gouvernement (19 October 2022). "Légifrance Le service public de la diffusion du droit" [The public service for dissemination of the law]. Légifrance. Direction de l'information légale et administrative. ISSN 2270-8987. OCLC 867599055.

• French Ministry of Justice (15 December 2008). "L'appel" [Appeal]. Ministère de la Justice (in French). Retrieved 5 January 2023.

• French Ministry of Justice (9 December 2008). "Justice | Portail | La garde à vue" [Justice | Portal | Police custody]. Ministère de la Justice (in French). [Police custody is the situation in which a person, suspected of having committed or attempted to commit an offense punishable by imprisonment, is held by the police or gendarmerie as part of a judicial investigation. It is a measure that deprives a person of liberty for a strictly limited period of time.]

• French Ministry of Justice (4 December 2008). "L'infraction". Ministère de la Justice (in French). Retrieved 3 January 2023.

• French Ministry of Justice (6 August 2008). "Les mots-clés de la Justice - Lexique" [Key words of Justice - Lexicon]. Ministère de la Justice (in French).

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