France
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- semi-presidential republic
- CONSTITUTION
- October 4, 1958; amended several times, last in 2008
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on civil law; administrative acts can be reviewed but not legislative ones; has not submitted to the jurisdiction of the ICJ
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- Bicameral Parliament (Parlement), Senate (Senat) and National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (composed of the president of the court, 6 division presidents, 120 merit judges, and 70 substitute judges organized into 6 divisions: 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (composed of 9 members); Courts of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Regional Courts or Tribunal de Grande Instance; First Instance Courts or Tribunal d'instance; Administrative Courts
RELIGIONS
Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, Other 1%, None 33%, Not specified 9% (estimate 2021)
From the country
- JULY 1, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
France, speaking for the 15-nation European Union,...
France, speaking for the 15-nation European Union, condemned the jail terms of between 4 and 13 years handed down to the 10 Jews in Iran by the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz
- JUNE 23, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne Gazeau-Secret said...
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne Gazeau-Secret said the French consul in Houston, speaking for all 15 European Union states, had intervened several times on behalf of Gary Graham, who went to his death proclaiming his innocence after Texas Governor Georg
- JUNE 22, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
The speaker of the French parliament Raymond Forni...
The speaker of the French parliament Raymond Forni urged Texas Governor George Bush to postpone the execution of death row inmate Gary Graham and allow an appeal of the murder conviction based on the testimony of a single witness
- JUNE 10, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
Raymond Forni, the speaker of France's National Assembly,...
Raymond Forni, the speaker of France's National Assembly, slammed the death penalty in the United States and said one-time Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal should not be executed
- MAY 31, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
The French cabinet approved a draft law for extraditing...
The French cabinet approved a draft law for extraditing criminals to the United States
- MAY 29, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
45% of the respondents in a poll conducted among 1,000...
45% of the respondents in a poll conducted among 1,000 people over 18 and representing all walks of life, said that France should re-establish the death penalty to fight crime
- MAY 18, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
Three French former prime ministers accused Teheran...
Three French former prime ministers accused Teheran of rigging the trial of the 13 Iranian Jews
- APRIL 26, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
France cosponsored and voted in favour of the resolution...
France cosponsored and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 26 (no
- APRIL 3, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
France re-affirmed that it wanted to see a fair trial...
France re-affirmed that it wanted to see a fair trial for 13 Jews, who could face the death penalty in Iran for spying
- MARCH 2, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
Human rights campaigners in France denounced Governor...
Human rights campaigners in France denounced Governor George W
- MARCH 1, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
Odell Barnes was executed by lethal injection at Huntsville...
Odell Barnes was executed by lethal injection at Huntsville prison in Texas
- FEBRUARY 28, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin wrote to US presidential...
French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin wrote to US presidential candidate and Texas governor, George W