French Legislation In English

Search, Read and Apply French Law. In English.

20+ full codes, 2,400+ articles translated and updated. Case law linked to every article. Read the actual text before you ask a lawyer about it — free, no login required.

Try: L.227-1 SAS governance, L.145-9 bail commercial renewal, L.223-18 gérant removal SARL

20+

french codes

Fully translated

2,400+

articles in English

Updated regularly

480+

court rulings linked

Per article

Free

full access

No login required

Showing 23212330 of 10664 articles for Art. CJEU – Pronuptia – Case 161/84 – 28 Jan. 1986

French Commercial codeIn force
BOOK IX: Overseas provisions.

Article R910-7

…France pursuant to that Directive.V. - The reference to Council Directive 86/635/EEC of 8 December 1986 on the annual accounts and consolidated accounts of banks and other financial institutions is r…

AI translation · Updated 4 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of civil procedureIn force
Subtitle II: Written procedure

Article 814

The award to the single judge and the referral to the panel are noted in the case file. Notice of this shall be given to the lawyers constituted. In cases that do not require the assistance of a lawye…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French General Code of Local AuthoritiesIn force
Section 2: The Town Council

Article L2541-3

The Town Council may also decide to hold regular meetings on certain specified days; but, in this case, the matters to be discussed and decided are also, except in cases of urgency, communicated at le…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Commercial codeIn force
Chapter II: Company accounts.

Article R232-17

In the case provided for in the second paragraph of Article L. 232-12, the Board of Directors, the Management Board or the Executive Chairmen, as the case may be, are empowered to decide to distribute…

AI translation · Updated 6 Nov 2023Open Article
French Commercial codeIn force
Chapter III: Procedure.

Article R463-4

In application of article L. 450-6, the General Rapporteur entrusts the investigation of a case to one or more rapporteurs appointed by him. In the course of the investigation, he may change this appo…

AI translation · Updated 5 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Section 1: General provisions

Article 15-4

…f criminal proceedings. II. - I of this Article shall apply to the officers referred to in Articles 28-1,28-1-1 and 28-2. III. - The investigating or trial courts seised of the facts shall have access…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Chapter III: Coordination of powers between the European Public Prosecutor, the Deputy European Public Prosecutors and the French judicial authority

Article 696-137

When the European Public Prosecutor decides to refer the case to the national authorities pursuant to Article 34 of the aforementioned Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017, the Deputy…

AI translation · Updated 7 Nov 2023Open Article
French Commercial codeIn force
Section 1: Scope of application.

Article L145-2

I.-The provisions of this chapter also apply: 1° To leases of premises or buildings housing educational establishments; 2° To leases granted to municipalities for buildings or premises assigned, eithe…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Public Health CodeIn force
Paragraph 2: Composition.

Article R6152-318

…ement staff of the establishments mentioned in 1° and 2° of article 2 of law no. 86-33 of 9 January 1986 on statutory provisions relating to the hospital civil service, appointed on the proposal of th…

AI translation · Updated 31 Oct 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Subsection 3: Pre-trial detention

Article 145-3

Where the duration of pre-trial detention exceeds one year in criminal cases or eight months in misdemeanour cases, decisions ordering its extension or rejecting applications for release must also inc…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
Common Questions

French legislation in English — Q&A

Our translations are produced and reviewed for accuracy, but the only legally binding version of French law is the French original. For court, registry or contractual use we offer lawyer-reviewed or sworn certified translations on request.

Articles are synced with Légifrance and updated as soon as a reform is published in the Journal Officiel, so you always read the version in force — and can see when each article was last amended.

Each article is linked to the key court decisions (Cour de cassation, Conseil d'État, courts of appeal) that interpret it, so you can read the text and its case-law application side by side.

Yes — every article has an AI plain-English summary, and you can order a lawyer-reviewed explanation of how it applies to your specific situation, with next steps.

No. Reading and searching the codes is free with no login. Paid services — certified translation and the legal application report — are entirely optional.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In French Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A Lawyer
In France.

A 20–30 minute call, in English, to scope the engagement. No obligation, no preliminary fee. You will leave the call with a clear view of what the work will cover and what it will cost.

First EngagementFixed Fee

Talk to a French lawyer.

Reply within 24 hours.

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

Continue

Related legal services

01 / Read

Browse the French codes

20+ full codes and 2,400+ articles in English, with the key court rulings linked to every article — free to read.

Read More
02 / Apply

Legal application report

A lawyer-reviewed report explaining how the relevant articles apply to your situation, with case-law analysis and next steps.

Read More
03 / Act

Talk to a French lawyer

Scope your matter with a Paris-Bar avocate — incorporation, contracts, disputes — handled bilingually, end to end.

Read More