France
2026
STATUSAbolitionist
EXECUTIONS 20260
SENTENCES0
- 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
- FEBRUARY 12, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
About 16,000 Kurds, from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland,...
About 16,000 Kurds, from Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and Britain demonstrated peacefully in Strasbourg, to demand the release of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan
- JANUARY 1, 2000FranceDEATH PENALTY
France has been abolitionist since 1981
France has been abolitionist since 1981
- AUGUST 14, 1999FranceDEATH PENALTY
On August 14, there was a poll that indicates the feelings...
On August 14, there was a poll that indicates the feelings of the French about the death penalty
- APRIL 28, 1999FranceDEATH PENALTY
France was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution...
France was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- JANUARY 1, 1999FranceDEATH PENALTY
France has been abolitionist since 1981
France has been abolitionist since 1981