French legal system

Book abstract:

This book provides an introduction in English to the French legal system. It has been inspired by the companion text 'French Legal System and Legal Language: An Introduction in French', by Elliott, Geirnaert and Houssais and builds upon the foundation knowledge and language skills provided in that text. By contrast to the earlier French text, 'French Legal System' seeks to provide greater depth of knowledge and understanding of the subject area, which the reader would not generally be able to master in French.

The book opens with the historical development of French law and an overview of the French institutional framework. It then gives a detailed analysis of the sources of French law, the structure of the courts and the legal profession. The characteristics of civil, criminal and administrative procedure are also examined. The final two chapters provide a useful description of the style of French legal essays, commentary on judgements and case summaries as well as information on obtaining professional qualifications in France.

This book will be a useful companion for law students on either university or vocational experience in France.

The authors are both lecturers at English universities: Catherine Elliot lectures at Kingston University as well as being a qualified barrister; and Catherine Vernon is a solicitor in addition to lecturing at Thames Valley University.