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 22112220 of 62472 articles for Art. Décret 55-22 du 4-1-1955

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 1: Appearance of the accused

Article 416

If the accused cannot, due to his state of health, appear before the court and if there are serious reasons not to defer the judgment of the case, the court orders, by special reasoned decision, that…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 1: Appearance of the accused

Article 417

The accused who appears has the option of being assisted by a defence counsel.If the accused has not chosen a defence counsel before the hearing, the president shall inform him, if he has not received…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 1: Appearance of the accused

Article 406

…otice of the document that has referred the case to the court. He informs the accused of his right, during the hearing, to make statements, answer questions or remain silent. He also establishes the p…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 1: Appearance of the accused

Article 413

No one is entitled to declare that he is in default if he is present at the start of the hearing.

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 1: Appearance of the accused

Article 410

The accused duly summoned in person must appear, unless he provides an excuse recognised as valid by the court before which he is summoned. The accused has the same obligation when it is established t…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Monetary and Financial CodeIn force
Subsection 1: Common provisions.

Article D214-32-4-1

The AMF shall ensure that the notification file provided for in Article L. 214-24-2 is complete. It shall send the file to the competent authorities of the host Member State in which the units or shar…

AI translation · Updated 6 Nov 2023Open Article
French Civil CodeIn force
Chapter III: Legal support measures

Article 495-4

…otion or at the request of the protected person, the judicial representative for the protection of adults or the public prosecutor, modify the scope or terminate it, after hearing or calling the perso…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Commercial codeIn force
Section 4: Duty to comply

Article R752-44-4

The application for authorisation is sent electronically to the Prefect, with an electronic acknowledgement of receipt sent immediately. The Prefect has one month from receipt of the authorisation app…

AI translation · Updated 4 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 4: Discussion by the parties

Article 459

…mentions this filing in the hearing notes. The court which is required to respond to pleadings thus duly filed must join to the merits the incidents and objections before it, and rule thereon in one a…

AI translation · Updated 8 Nov 2023Open Article
French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force
Paragraph 4: Discussion by the parties

Article 461

If the debates cannot be completed during the same hearing, the court shall, by judgment, fix the day on which they shall be continued.The parties and witnesses not heard, or those who have been invit…

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