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
- OCTOBER 10, 2007FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE RATIFIES EUROPEAN RIGHTS CONVENTION PROTOCOL TO ABOLISH DEATH PENALTY IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
France formally agreed to abolish the death penalty in all circumstances when it ratified a provision of
- MARCH 20, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE, CHINA SIGN EXTRADITION TREATY
France's justice minister said an extradition treaty signed with China would not be applied to people accused of political or military crimes.
- FEBRUARY 19, 2007FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE. BANNING OF DEATH PENALTY WRITTEN INTO CONSTITUTION
Senators and lower house lawmakers wrote the banning of the death penalty into the French Constitution.
- JANUARY 30, 2007FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE. DEATH PENALTY SOON REMOVED FROM CONSITUTION
The French National Assembly unanimously decided to remove the death penalty from the French Consitution. ‘Noone can be sentenced to death,’ states the only article of the Consitutional Law Bill that modifies the VIII title of the Fundamental Charter.
- JANUARY 4, 2007ChinaDEATH PENALTY
ROW ERUPTS OVER FRANCE-CHINA EXTRADITION TREATY
rights groups raised a chorus of alarm over French plans to sign an extradition treaty with China, despite the Asian giant's dismal record on prisoners' rights and widespread use of the death penalty.
- JANUARY 1, 2007FranceDEATH PENALTY
The death penalty was abolished in France on September 9...
The death penalty was abolished in France on September 9...
- MAY 3, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. JURY REJECTS DEATH PENALTY FOR MOUSSAOUI
a divided jury spared the life of Zacarias Moussaoui, deciding to send to jail for the rest of his life the only man tried on US soil for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
- APRIL 8, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
USA. MOTHER OF SEPTEMBER 11 VICTIM OPPOSES DEATH PENALTY FOR MOUSSAOUI
Alice Hoagland's son, Mark Bingham was killed on September 11 as he joined with fellow United Airlines passengers to ground a plane that may have been headed toward the White House.
- APRIL 4, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
COUNCIL OF EUROPE. EUROPE SLAMS RULING FOR MOUSSAOUI'S EXECUTION
COUNCIL OF EUROPE. EUROPE SLAMS RULING FOR MOUSSAOUI'S EXECUTION April 4 2006: the Council of Europe slammed the decision to make would-be Al-Qaeda suicide pilot Zacarias Moussaoui eligible for execution in the United States, calling it "as sad as it was
- APRIL 4, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE. MOUSSAOUI'S MOTHER: LIFE TERM WORSE THAN DEATH
the mother of Zacarias Moussaoui, who had been ruled eligible for the death penalty, said a life sentence would be as bad as execution.
- APRIL 3, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
UNITED STATES. MOUSSAOUI MAY BE EXECUTED FOR 9/11 CRIMES
a US jury found Zacarias Moussaoui eligible for the death penalty, and the convicted Sept. 11 conspirator shouted as he was led out of the court: "You'll never get my blood. God curse you all."
- MARCH 15, 2006FranceDEATH PENALTY
FRANCE. ACTRESS BARDOT URGES BUSH TO PREVENT EXECUTION OF PRISONER ON TEXAS DEATH ROW
French film legend Brigitte Bardot wrote to US President George W. Bush urging him to prevent the execution of a prisoner on death row in Texas.