Section 2: Judicial police officers

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1616-116-1 A 16-216-317181919-1

Article 18

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

Judicial police officers have jurisdiction within the territorial limits where they carry out their usual duties.

Officers of the judicial police, temporarily placed at the disposal of a service other than that to which they are assigned, have the same territorial jurisdiction as that of the officers of the judicial police of the host service.

Officers of the judicial police may travel throughout France to pursue their investigations and to conduct hearings, searches and seizures, after informing the public prosecutor in charge of the investigation or the examining magistrate. They are required to be assisted by a judicial police officer with territorial jurisdiction if the magistrate so decides. The public prosecutor of the judicial court in whose jurisdiction the investigations are being carried out is also informed by the judicial police officer of the transport. However, it is not necessary to inform the magistrates mentioned in this paragraph when the transport takes place in a jurisdiction bordering that in which the officer carries out his duties, Paris and the departments of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne being considered as a single department for this purpose.

With the agreement of the competent authorities of the State concerned, judicial police officers may, on the basis of an express letter rogatory issued by the investigating judge or at the request of the public prosecutor, conduct hearings on the territory of a foreign State.

Officers or agents of the judicial police who usually carry out their duties in vehicles used for the collective transport of passengers or in places intended for access to these means of transport are competent to operate throughout the defence zone of their department of assignment, under conditions determined by decree in the Conseil d'Etat. When the requisitions issued by the public prosecutor pursuant to article 78-7 expressly provide for it, these officers or agents of the judicial police are competent to use them throughout the journey of a passenger rail transport vehicle.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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