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The field of criminal law is defined as a sector of French law, and is a combination of public and private law, insofar as it punishes private behavior on behalf of society as a whole. Its function is to define, categorize, prevent, and punish criminal offenses committed by a person, whether a natural person ( Personne physique ) or a legal ...
criminal law. Criminal law is "the set of legal rules that govern the State's response to offenses and offenders". [53] Droit pénal deals with an individual's rights and obligations under the law, as codified in a criminal code (§ code pénal). Under French criminal law, the criminal code (defines what acts (or omissions) are punishable. [54]
The French code of criminal procedure (French: Code de procédure pénale) is the codification of French criminal procedure, "the set of legal rules in France that govern the State's response to offenses and offenders". [1] It guides the behavior of police, prosecutors, and judges in dealing with a possible crime.
In France, the term criminal procedure (French: procédure pénale) has two meanings; a narrow one, referring to the process that happens during a criminal case as it proceeds through the phases of receiving and investigating a complaint, arresting suspects, and bringing them to trial, resulting in possible sentencing—and a broader meaning referring to the way the justice system is organized ...
Criminal offenses (French: infraction) are divided into three categories, according to increasing severity: contravention, délit [a] and crime. [ b ] The latter two categories are determined by the legislature , while contraventions are the responsibility of the executive branch .
The Code pénal is the codification of French criminal law (droit pénal). It took effect March 1, 1994 and replaced the French Penal Code of 1810, which had until then been in effect. This in turn has become known as the "old penal code" in the rare decisions that still need to apply it.
A contravention in French criminal law is a minor infraction, as opposed to a délit which is more serious, or a crime which is the most serious. Any infraction of a law or regulation enforced by the agents of the State executive, that is not punishable by more than a €3000 fine is considered a contravention.
Criminal responsibility in French criminal law is the obligation to answer for infractions committed and to suffer the punishment provided by the legislation that governs the infraction in question. [1] In a democracy citizens have rights but also duties: with freedom comes responsibility.