How to read legal citations in France
French cases are cited by the court, the date, and the parties or the nickname. French codes are cited by article number and code name.
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
Style guide: French academic and court conventions. French citations are short and abbreviate the court and chamber. The court's name and the date matter more than a volume number.
Real citations, decoded
Click or hover over any underlined piece to see what it means.
An administrative-law decision Case
, ,
- Court T. confl.
Tribunal des conflits, the court that decides whether a dispute belongs to the ordinary courts or the administrative courts. - Date 8 févr. 1873
The date of the decision, with the month abbreviated in French. - Name Blanco
The party name that gives the case its nickname. This famous decision is a founding text of French administrative law.
A decision of the Constitutional Council Case
, du
- Court Cons. const.
Conseil constitutionnel, the Constitutional Council. - Decision number décision n° 71-44 DC
The number: 71 is the year (1971), 44 is the running number, and DC means a decision on a law's conformity to the Constitution. - Date 16 juillet 1971
The date of the decision.
A code article Statute
- Article art. 1240
Article 1240, the basic provision on fault-based liability (formerly article 1382 before the 2016 reform). - Code C. civ.
Code civil, the Civil Code. Other common codes: C. pén. (Criminal Code) and C. trav. (Labour Code).
The Constitution Constitution
,
- Instrument Constitution du 4 octobre 1958
The current constitution of the Fifth Republic, named by its date. - Article art. 34
Article 34 lists the matters that only Parliament can regulate by statute. Everything else falls to the government's regulations.
A code article Code
- Article art. 311-1
In French codes the article comes first. 311-1 is the number of the article. - Code C. pén.
Code pénal, the Criminal Code. Article 311-1 defines theft as the fraudulent taking of another's property.
A Cour de cassation decision Case
, , ,
- Court and chamber Cass. civ. 2e
Cour de cassation, second civil chamber. The Court has several chambers, each with its own area. - Date 21 juill. 1982
French decisions are cited by date, written day, month, year. - Case number n° 81-12.850
The appeal number: the year (81) and a number within it. - Name Desmares
The case's nickname, from one of the parties. Desmares is about strict liability for harm caused by motor vehicles.
Things to remember
- Ordinary-court decisions of the Court of Cassation are abbreviated Cass. and then the chamber, such as Cass. civ. 1re (first civil chamber).
- Administrative-law decisions come from the Conseil d'État, written CE.
- Many decisions are known by a nickname rather than by the parties' names.
Where to find the text, free
To understand how courts and law fit together in France, read the France profile in the Legal Families Atlas.
Other legal systems
United StatesEngland and WalesIrelandCanadaAustraliaNew ZealandIndiaSouth AfricaGermanyItalySpainNetherlandsJapanBrazilEuropean UnionEuropean Court of Human RightsInternational lawScotlandSingaporeHong KongChinaRussiaMexicoArgentinaTurkeySouth KoreaIsraelEgyptNigeriaMalaysiaPakistanInter-American Court of Human RightsWorld Trade OrganizationInternational Criminal CourtCaribbean
TheLawToKnow Tools’s citation guide is an educational overview of standard conventions. Courts and journals sometimes vary, so check the style guide before submitting or publishing. It is not legal advice. Report a mistake.
