Sources for France

Constitution du 4 octobre 1958 (texte intégral en vigueur)

Conseil constitutionnel · Legislation · 1958-10-04 · link verified 2026-08-10

Authentic consolidated text published by the Conseil constitutionnel. Supports: Article 1 (indivisible Republic; decentralised organisation); Article 64 (President as guarantor of the independence of the judicial authority, assisted by the Conseil supérieur de la magistrature); Article 66 (judicial authority as guardian of individual liberty); Article 72 (categories of territorial collectivity); Article 72-3 (the ten named overseas territories); Articles 73 and 74 (the two overseas regimes); the title of Title VIII ('De l'autorité judiciaire') and of Title XIII (transitional provisions on New Caledonia). Re-verified on 10 August 2026 for Wave 6, which additionally establishes from the same text: Article 65, that the Conseil supérieur de la magistrature comprises a formation for magistrats du siège and one for magistrats du parquet, that the siège formation 'statue comme conseil de discipline des magistrats du siège' and that the parquet formation 'donne son avis sur les sanctions disciplinaires qui les concernent'; and Article 71-1, that 'Le Défenseur des droits veille au respect des droits et libertés par les administrations de l'Etat, les collectivités territoriales, les établissements publics, ainsi que par tout organisme investi d'une mission de service public', that he may be seized by any person believing themselves harmed and may act d'office, that he is appointed by the President of the Republic for a non-renewable mandate of six years incompatible with membership of the Government or Parliament, and that he reports on his activity to the President of the Republic and to Parliament. Does NOT support any claim about how these provisions are applied in practice, nor about the internal organisation of any institution. WAVE 19 ADDITION, read from the same authentic consolidated text (version to the constitutional revision of 8 March 2024). Supports Article 61, review BEFORE promulgation: organic laws before promulgation, the propositions de loi mentioned in Article 11 before being submitted to referendum, and the rules of the parliamentary assemblies before their entry into application "doivent être soumis au Conseil constitutionnel qui se prononce sur leur conformité à la Constitution"; that for the same purposes ordinary laws "peuvent être déférées au Conseil constitutionnel, avant leur promulgation" by the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate, or sixty deputies or sixty senators; that the Council must rule within one month, reduced to eight days at the Government's request in urgency; and that referral suspends the time limit for promulgation. Supports Article 61-1, review AFTER promulgation on referral: "Lorsque, à l'occasion d'une instance en cours devant une juridiction, il est soutenu qu'une disposition législative porte atteinte aux droits et libertés que la Constitution garantit, le Conseil constitutionnel peut être saisi de cette question sur renvoi du Conseil d'État ou de la Cour de cassation qui se prononce dans un délai déterminé" — the question reaches the Council only through one of the two apex courts, which acts as a filter. Supports Article 62, the differing EFFECTS: a provision declared unconstitutional on the basis of Article 61 "ne peut être promulguée ni mise en application"; a provision declared unconstitutional on the basis of Article 61-1 "est abrogée à compter de la publication de la décision du Conseil constitutionnel ou d'une date ultérieure fixée par cette décision", with the Council determining the conditions and limits within which effects the provision has already produced may be called into question; and that the decisions of the Conseil constitutionnel "ne sont susceptibles d'aucun recours" and bind the public powers and all administrative and judicial authorities. Supports no claim about how often either route is used or about outcomes. WAVE 20 ADDITION. Read from the same authentic consolidated text on the Conseil constitutionnel's site. Supports Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, Article 36: “ARTICLE 36. L'état de siège est décrété en Conseil des ministres. Sa prorogation au-delà de douze jours ne peut être autorisée que par le Parlement.”. Supports Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, Article 16, first two paragraphs: “Lorsque les institutions de la République, l'indépendance de la nation, l'intégrité de son territoire ou l'exécution de ses engagements internationaux sont menacées d'une manière grave et immédiate et que le fonctionnement régulier des pouvoirs publics constitutionnels est interrompu, le Président de la République prend les mesures exigées par ces circonstances, après consultation officielle du Premier ministre, des présidents des assemblées ainsi que du Conseil constitutionnel. Il en informe la nation par un message.”. Supports Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, Article 16, final paragraph: “Après trente jours d'exercice des pouvoirs exceptionnels, le Conseil constitutionnel peut être saisi par le Président de l'Assemblée nationale, le Président du Sénat, soixante députés ou soixante sénateurs, aux fins d'examiner si les conditions énoncées au premier alinéa demeurent réunies. Il se prononce dans les délais les plus brefs par un avis public. Il procède de plein droit à cet examen et se prononce dans les mêmes conditions au terme de soixante jours d'exercice des pouvoirs exceptionnels et à tout moment au-delà de cette durée.”. Supports Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, Article 66: “ARTICLE 66. Nul ne peut être arbitrairement détenu. L'autorité judiciaire, gardienne de la liberté individuelle, assure le respect de ce principe dans les conditions prévues par la loi.”. Cited for the constitutional architecture of French exceptional powers and for the thirty-day review clock the 2008 revision built into Article 16. It records no use of Article 16, states nothing about the état d'urgence, which is statutory and cited separately, and supports no claim about any other country.

Article 12 du Code de procédure pénale

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 1958-04-08 · link verified 2026-07-24

Supports the exact wording that the police judiciaire is exercised 'sous la direction du procureur de la République' by the officers, officials and agents designated in that title. Légifrance records the provision as in force from 8 April 1958 and as scheduled for repeal by Ordonnance n° 2025-1091 of 19 November 2025 with effect from 1 January 2029; any citation must state that it is current law carrying a scheduled end date. Does NOT support any claim about which bodies those designated officers belong to, nor about investigative practice.

Article L3211-3 du Code de la défense

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2018-07-15 · link verified 2026-07-24

Supports the exact wording 'La gendarmerie nationale est une force armée instituée pour veiller à l'exécution des lois', and that its military missions are executed throughout the national territory. Version in force from 15 July 2018, last modified by Loi n° 2018-607 of 13 July 2018, article 42. Supports the gendarmerie's legal character as an armed force ONLY; it does not support any claim about territorial allocation between the gendarmerie and the police nationale, nor about equipment, tactics or deployment.

Article L511-1 du Code de la sécurité intérieure

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2021-07-01 · link verified 2026-07-24

Supports that agents de police municipale act under the authority of the mayor on tasks within the mayor's competence relating to prevention and surveillance of public order, tranquillity, security and public health, and the opening clause 'Sans préjudice de la compétence générale de la police nationale et de la gendarmerie nationale'. Légifrance records it as in force from 1 July 2021 to 1 January 2029. Does NOT support any claim about how many communes maintain a municipal force, nor about the powers of individual agents beyond the cited wording.

L'organisation des cours et tribunaux

Ministère de la justice (France) · Government publication · link verified 2026-07-24

The Ministry of Justice's own account of court organisation. Supports: the division into ordre judiciaire and ordre administratif; the naming of the tribunal judiciaire, tribunal de proximité, conseil de prud'hommes, tribunal de commerce, tribunal paritaire des baux ruraux, tribunal de police, tribunal correctionnel, cour criminelle départementale, cour d'assises, cour d'appel and Cour de cassation; the three administrative levels (tribunal administratif, cour administrative d'appel, Conseil d'État); and the role of the Tribunal des conflits. A structural self-description: it does not support claims about caseload, effectiveness, or the competence thresholds allocating cases between courts. Undated on the page, so it supports current structure as at the verification date only.

Les magistrats du parquet

Ministère de la justice (France) · Government publication · link verified 2026-07-24

Supports: the definition of the parquet / ministère public; the 'magistrature debout' description and the siège/parquet distinction; the hierarchy from procureur général to procureur de la République; that parquet magistrates act 'sous l'autorité du ministre de la Justice' and receive 'des instructions générales du ministre de la Justice mais en aucun cas dans les dossiers judiciaires'; that they do not benefit from the guarantee of inamovibilité; and the prosecutor's direction of investigation and discretion over case outcomes. An official self-description of the formal rule. It does NOT establish that the rule is observed in practice, and cannot settle the contested question of prosecutorial independence in either direction.

Décret n° 2013-784 du 28 août 2013 relatif aux missions et à l'organisation de l'inspection générale de la police nationale

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2013-08-28 · link verified 2026-08-10

The founding instrument of the IGPN. Supports the exact wording of article 1, 'L'inspection générale de la police nationale est un service actif de la direction générale de la police nationale' (version in force from 1 July 2023, as modified by décret n° 2023-530 of 29 June 2023); that its scope covers the services of the DGPN, the préfecture de police and, under conditions, the DGSI; article 3, 'une mission générale d'inspection, d'étude, d'audit et de conseil' together with internal control and risk management by delegation; article 4, 'L'inspection générale de la police nationale diligente des enquêtes judiciaires, d'initiative ou sur instruction de l'autorité judiciaire' and 'Elle reçoit les plaintes et dénonciations'; and article 5 (in force from 17 July 2025, as modified by décret n° 2025-651 of 16 July 2025), under which administrative investigations are conducted on the instruction of the Minister of the Interior, the DGPN, the DGSI or the préfet de police, with an urgency exception. It does NOT support any claim about how many investigations are conducted, about their outcomes, about the effectiveness or independence of the IGPN, or about any deontology mandate, which this text does not confer in terms.

Arrêté du 28 août 2013 relatif à l'organisation de l'inspection générale de la police nationale

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2013-08-28 · link verified 2026-08-10

The consolidated organisation of the IGPN. Supports article 1, that the IGPN 'est placée sous l'autorité d'un directeur des services actifs de la police nationale, chef de l'inspection générale de la police nationale'; and article 2, that it comprises three sub-directorates, one of which — enquêtes administratives et judiciaires, under a contrôleur général — contains a coordination unit, a 'délégation nationale anti-corruption' and eight investigation delegations, with locations at Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Metz, Paris, Rennes and Fort-de-France and an office at Nice. The anti-corruption delegation carries that name only since the arrêté of 26 August 2025 (in force 1 September 2025), which renamed the former division nationale des enquêtes; ministry prose pages may still use the older name. Supports structure ONLY: it establishes nothing about what any unit does in practice.

Plateforme administrative de signalement de l'inspection générale de la police nationale (IGPN)

Ministère de l'Intérieur (France) — Ma Sécurité · Government publication · link verified 2026-08-10

The state's own description of the IGPN reporting platform. Supports that it is open to 'Toute personne, victime ou témoin - direct ou indirect -, quel que soit son lieu de résidence'; the express statement 'Il ne s'agit ni d'un service d'urgence, ni d'un service d'enquête, ni d'un service de plainte'; and that the role of platform staff is to route the report 'vers la hiérarchie compétente, pour y donner suite, ou vers une délégation de l'IGPN'. This source is cited specifically for the boundary between a signalement and a plainte. It does NOT support any claim about how reports are handled after routing, about volumes, or about outcomes. Undated on the page, so it supports the arrangement as at the verification date only.

Code de la défense, articles D3122-12 à D3122-14 (inspection générale de la gendarmerie nationale)

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · link verified 2026-08-10

Supports the exact wording of article D3122-12, 'Le directeur général de la gendarmerie nationale dispose de l'inspection générale de la gendarmerie nationale'; that the IGGN ensures implementation of the instructions of the Minister of the Interior and of the director general, carries out the inspections and particular missions they entrust to it, and is charged with observance of the deontology rules applying to gendarmerie personnel; that its attributions and organisation are set by arrêté of the Minister of the Interior; and article D3122-14, that it may receive investigation requests from the judicial authority concerning offences imputable to gendarmerie personnel in or outside service. Article D3122-13 is abrogated with effect from 1 January 2010. Supports the attachment and the legal basis ONLY.

Arrêté du 23 avril 2025 relatif aux attributions et à l'organisation de l'inspection générale de la gendarmerie nationale

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2025-04-23 · link verified 2026-08-10

The current attributions of the IGGN, and the reason any description resting on the previous text is out of date: article 4 abrogates the arrêté of 15 January 2019. Supports that the IGGN carries out inspection, audit, study, investigation, evaluation and expertise missions covering the employment of resources, human resources, administration, logistics and finance, security of installations and information systems, protection of personal data, the health and safety of personnel and preservation of the environment; that it is 'chargée du respect des règles de déontologie' and makes the recommendations those rules require; that it 'diligente, sur instruction ou d'initiative, les enquêtes administratives se rapportant au non-respect de ces règles'; that it 'informe l'autorité judiciaire lorsque les manquements constatés sont susceptibles de constituer une infraction pénale'; that it 'diligente les enquêtes judiciaires qui lui sont confiées et satisfait aux réquisitions judiciaires'; that it 'assure le recueil et le traitement des doléances que lui adressent les particuliers' and collects reports from gendarmerie personnel who are victims or witnesses of harassment, discrimination or violence within the institution; and that the observatoire de la gendarmerie pour l'égalité et contre les discriminations is attached to it. It does NOT support any claim about outcomes, volumes or effectiveness.

LOI organique n° 2011-333 du 29 mars 2011 relative au Défenseur des droits

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2011-03-29 · link verified 2026-08-10

Supports, from the consolidated text: article 2, 'Le Défenseur des droits, autorité administrative indépendante, ne reçoit et ne sollicite, dans l'exercice de ses attributions, aucune instruction', and that he and his deputies 'ne peuvent être poursuivis, recherchés, arrêtés, détenus ou jugés à l'occasion des opinions qu'ils émettent ou des actes qu'ils accomplissent dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions'; article 4, the five mandates, of which the fourth is 'De veiller au respect de la déontologie par les personnes exerçant des activités de sécurité sur le territoire de la République'; article 5, who may refer a matter, including a witness of a breach of security deontology; article 11, the collèges, including the one for security deontology; article 18, that he may 'demander des explications à toute personne'; article 20, communication of useful information and documents; article 22, 'Des vérifications sur place dans les locaux administratifs ou privés des personnes mises en cause'; article 24, that he assesses whether the facts call for his intervention; article 25, recommendations, the power to 'enjoindre à la personne mise en cause de prendre, dans un délai déterminé, les mesures nécessaires', and the rapport spécial made public where an injunction is not followed; article 29, that he 'peut saisir l'autorité investie du pouvoir d'engager les poursuites disciplinaires'; and article 36, the annual reports to the President of the Republic and the presidents of both chambers. The law also provides that where the facts appear to constitute a crime or délit he informs the procureur de la République, and that courts may invite him to present written or oral observations; the article numbers for those two powers could not be pinned across two independent reads and are therefore cited without a number. This source does NOT establish that the Défenseur des droits holds any power to impose a disciplinary sanction — article 29 places that power in another authority — nor anything about caseload, outcomes or effectiveness.

Contrôler le respect de la déontologie par les professionnels de la sécurité

Défenseur des droits (France) · Government publication · link verified 2026-08-10

The institution's own statement of its security-deontology competence. Supports the list of professionals within that competence: 'Les policiers nationaux et municipaux, Les gendarmes, Les agents de l'administration pénitentiaire, Les douaniers, Les agents de surveillance des transports en commun, Les membres de services d'ordre, Les employés de services de sécurité privée'; and that a matter may be raised by any natural or legal person who was the victim of criticisable conduct by a security professional, by witnesses, by parliamentarians and by equivalent foreign institutions, and that he may act on his own initiative. Cited specifically to establish that the mandate is NOT police-specific. The page does not set out the powers available at the conclusion of an investigation, which are taken from the loi organique instead. It does NOT support any claim about outcomes or effectiveness.

LOI n° 2007-1545 du 30 octobre 2007 instituant un Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2007-10-30 · link verified 2026-08-10

Supports that the Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté is an 'autorité indépendante' charged, without prejudice to the powers of the judicial authorities, with verifying the conditions in which persons deprived of liberty are held and transferred and ensuring respect for their fundamental rights; that he may visit 'à tout moment' any place where persons are deprived of their liberty by decision of a public authority, the statute using that general formula rather than an enumerated list, and that authorities may oppose a visit only for grave reasons which they must justify while proposing a postponement; that any natural person may bring facts to his attention, alongside the Prime Minister, members of the government, parliamentarians and other named authorities, and that he may act on his own initiative; and that he issues avis and recommendations, may propose changes to legislation and regulation, and publishes an annual activity report. The text confers NO power to impose a sanction.

Le rôle du Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté

Contrôleur général des lieux de privation de liberté (France) · Government publication · link verified 2026-08-10

The institution's own account of its remit. Supports its creation by loi n° 2007-1545 du 30 octobre 2007 as 'une autorité administrative indépendante'; that it 'ne reçoit d'instructions d'aucune autorité', that the Contrôleur général may be neither removed during the mandate nor reappointed, and cannot be prosecuted for opinions or acts in the exercise of the functions; and the categories of place it controls, which include police, gendarmerie and customs custody premises alongside prisons, mental-health establishments, secure hospital units, detention centres for foreign nationals, airport and port waiting zones, court holding cells and vehicles used to transfer detained persons. Cited specifically to establish that police custody premises fall within the remit, which the statute's general formula does not enumerate. The page does not describe any power to sanction. It does NOT support any claim about visit frequency, findings or effectiveness, and it is not cited for any claim about France's designation under OPCAT, which was not established.

Articles R434-1 et R434-2 du Code de la sécurité intérieure (code de déontologie de la police nationale et de la gendarmerie nationale)

République française (Légifrance) · Legislation · 2014-01-01 · link verified 2026-08-10

Supports the exact wording of article R434-1, in force from 1 January 2014, 'Les dispositions du présent chapitre constituent le code de déontologie de la police nationale et de la gendarmerie nationale pour l'exécution de leurs missions de sécurité intérieure'; and article R434-2, that the two forces 'sont soumises à des règles déontologiques communes et à des règles propres à chacune d'elles'. Supports that one regulatory code binds both national forces. It does NOT support any claim about the content of individual duties, about enforcement of the code, or about compliance.