French Code of Criminal Procedure
In forceThe criminal court is composed of a president and two judges.
When a trial appears likely to involve lengthy debates, the president of the judicial court may decide that one or more additional sitting magistrates will attend the debates. In the event that one or more sitting magistrates making up the criminal court are prevented from attending the proceedings until judgment is delivered, they shall be replaced by the additional sitting magistrate or magistrates, in the order of their appointment to the judicial court, starting with the most senior magistrate of the highest rank.
However, for the trial of the offences listed in article 398-1, it is composed of a single one of these magistrates exercising the powers conferred on the president.
The appointment of the magistrates of the Criminal Court called upon to rule under the conditions provided for in paragraph 3 shall be made by the president of the Judicial Court in accordance with the procedures laid down for the allocation of judges to the various chambers of that court; where appropriate, the president of the Criminal Court shall allocate cases among these magistrates.
Before the start of the judicial year, the President of the Judicial Court shall establish by order the list of magistrates temporarily practising within his jurisdiction who are likely to sit as assessors on the panel of the Criminal Court. This order may be amended during the course of the year to take into account a change in the composition of the court or to provide for a reduced service during the period in which magistrates, civil servants and court officers benefit from their annual leave. This panel may not include more than one lay judge.
The decisions provided for in this article are administrative measures not subject to appeal.
