Law

What changes are proposed in the planned new French immigration law?

The interior minister has set out four main proposals for a new 2025 immigration law

Inheritance in France: Can lodging a child for low rent cause issues?

The French supreme court has overturned a decision by the court of appeal on what constitutes a ‘gift’ by a parent

Is a French Pacs recognised in the UK or US?

The UK and US have differing legal views on French civil partnerships

news

Crackdown on knife-carrying in France: what are the rules?

Authorities are increasingly applying the existing law more rigorously, but critics say it is ‘too ambiguous’

Alain Delon buried at his French home: what are the rules for this?

Burials are uncommon at an individual residence and must satisfy certain conditions and have prior prefectural approval

Couple must reimburse €400,000 for French home that cannot be lived in

The problem was only discovered after the property had been sold

France changes its deadline rules for burials and cremations

Longer time between issue of death certificate and service now allowed

Health strike, foreigners’ tax errors, scams: French practical updates

Our round-up of recent practical articles you may have missed

Explained: How to settle disputes without going to court in France

We look at the new ‘amicable’ process for everyday civil claims introduced to find out-of-court solutions

Marineland in south of France again criticised over new whale death

An animal welfare association has filed a legal complaint but the park denies it keeps orcas in poor conditions

Tips for making a will in France without a notaire

We also cover ways to store your will securely and how foreigners can make different options to French residents

Watchdog takes action over banned treatment of French mineral water

“Nobody, not even a multinational like Nestlé, is above the law,” it says

Student receives €7,000 in train fines after identity theft in France

The 20-year-old said he has to prove he was not on the train in each of the 30 plus cases

Covid-19: French state guilty of stopping son visiting dying father

‘The last words my dad said to me on the phone were: “Don’t worry, we’ll see each other again.”’

Explainer: How criminal courts and jury service work in France

We look at the active role of judges, how cases are tried and why the system is so slow

4 ways to lower the price when buying property in France

From agency commission to negotiating the cost of furnishings, here are some tips

No penalty for driver caught at 275 km/h on French motorway

The court was forced to acquit the defendant based on a technicality

Tips to avoid cold calls in France - and what to say if you get one

Be aware of marketing numbers and rules around nuisance calls

Senate debates compensation for gay people criminalised by France

A new proposal seeks to ‘repair society’s error’ and compensate those affected by at least €10,000 each plus extra for every day they spent in prison

Will French step-children inherit my estate?

John Kitching of French Law Consultancy answers a reader query

U-turn on strict environmental rules for holiday chalets in France

A building firm has won a legal battle to drop costly green regulations for small holiday bungalows

50 French senators back more flexible rules for second-home owners

More than a quarter of the dominant Les Républicains group in the Senate have now put their name to one or more amendments

Why France’s justice minister is himself on trial

In an unprecedented scenario, the former high-profile lawyer faces charges into ‘illegal conflicts of interest’

Senate votes to ban ‘inclusive language’ from official French texts

The authors of the proposal said the gender neutral conventions are too confusing for people with dyslexia and other cognitive disabilities

How to declare possession of a gun in France

Hunters must create an online account and declare their weapons by the end of the year, with other owners to follow in 2024. We explain the system

Why Macron wants the right to abortion added to French constitution

The president announced the plan as part of an homage to the French lawyer instrumental in making abortion legal in France in 1975

14 years’ jail for man who escaped from French prison by helicopter

The gangster was said to have been inspired by prison-break films

Explainer: Rights and obligations for shared garden walls in France

What work can you do on your side and what are the shared costs and responsibilities?

Bid to stop marmot hunting in France fails

Six environmental associations denounced the hunting as ‘scandalous’ but the court did not rule in their favour

Are all-season tyres allowed during winter in France?

Winter tyres are required from November in several areas of France, but the rules do offer a degree of flexibility

What the new digital law will change for people in France

The new rules will ‘protect citizens, children, and businesses’, the digital minister has promised

‘School bullies in France must get more help as well as victims’

A recent law change, which can force bullies to change school, has been welcomed but more support still needed, says anti-bullying charity

Boy, 16, compensated in France after mother’s exposure to glyphosate

It is the first official acknowledgment of a link between the pesticide and prenatal damage

Why does a new French anti-squatting law appear to protect squatters?

Judges who tweaked a new law are accused of being more concerned about squatters’ comfort than owners’ rights

Court cancels two water ‘megabasin’ projects in western France

The controversial reservoirs were ‘not associated with any real water-saving measures,’ it ruled

Apple’s iPhone 12 is removed from sale in France due to wave issue

The company has two weeks to fix the problem

Complaints grow over France’s inheritance law on forced heirship

European Commission notes wide public interest as it studies legality of 2021 forced heirship rules

Macron raises possibility of referendum on immigration in France

But would such a plan first need constitutional change?

France prepares to ban use of word ‘steak’ for vegetarian food items

The agriculture ministry is working on a new decree on the controversial issue, which would also ban the use of the words ‘bacon’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based products

Are speed camera detectors in cars legal in France?

In car ‘radar warning systems’ can alert drivers of fixed speed cameras and some can use live information to warn of mobile devices also

Support for woman prosecuted for walking topless in street in France

She said she was only doing what ‘half of men do’ and that she was overheating. A woman previously prosecuted for doing the same said the current law is unfair

I agree French visa system is too difficult

A Connexion reader says that troubles are not limited to online processes – face-to-face appointments can also be challenging

Controversial ban on public sitting in French town partially suspended

A court said restrictions on sitting or lying in public spaces in Angoulême represented ‘a disproportionate infringement of freedom’

Channel ferry crews to be better protected by new French and UK laws

But not all cross-Channel ferry companies have signed an additional voluntary charter on wages and working conditions

Is it legal to use a VPN to watch TV in France?

Virtual private networks can allow you to watch TV from your home country while in France

Holidaymakers in France discover hidden camera in Airbnb bathroom

The woman took the camera to the local police station and an inquiry has been opened

France travel: What are your rights for late, lost or damaged luggage?

If the worst does happen, here are some tips on what you should do next

‘Greedy families pushing an assisted death in France is nonsense’

We speak to the director of a pro-euthanasia group who welcomes the end-of-life legislation review, and we remember campaigner Jacqueline Jencquel

Couples who married outside France warned over marriage regime changes

A quirk in the law means some marriage regimes have been changed automatically, affecting inheritance and property ownership

Drug- and drink-drivers in France could face longer prison sentences

It comes after several high-profile accidents, including one which saw three police officers killed near Lille

Explainer: Difference between contravention, délit and crime in France

We walk through how crimes are classified and tried in the French legal system where only the most serious have a jury

Wildfires: French law may require you to cut back at-risk vegetation

In southern regions of France, residents whose property is within 200m of woodland must prune or clear plants which could enable a fire to spread

How will France’s online safety bill protect you from scammers?

Changes could even see Twitter blocked over its approach to pornography rules, says minister

Ban bird hunting with glue and traps by closing loophole, France told

France’s highest administrative court said the government must annul 1989 decrees on traditional bird hunting methods

Blonde, bald, Afro: French MP plans an anti ‘hair discrimination’ law

Olivier Serva said many people suffer prejudice linked to their hair

What is France’s Constitutional Council and why is it in the news?

With the council set to make an important ruling on Friday (April 14), we take a closer look at how it works

New French law will tackle ‘phoney’ rural noise complaints

It comes as France’s justice minister attacked the ‘urban mentality’ of some people moving to the French countryside

French gruyere-makers angry as court approves US version

French and Swiss producers had tried to obtain exclusive use of the name gruyere, which is strictly defined in Europe, but not protected in the US

French citizens’ council votes for assisted dying (with conditions)

It comes after France’s ethics advisory body earlier said that patients are increasingly ‘forgotten’ in end-of-life care

Must we carry carte de séjour at all times in France?

We look at what types of identification you should carry with you in France

Servier launches Paris appeal over Mediator ‘slimming pill’ scandal

It comes after the manufacturing lab was found guilty of aggravated deception and manslaughter in connection with the drug which has been linked to hundreds of deaths

'Voir dire': You need Latin not French to understand this legal phrase

Language ‘false friends’ can confuse translation but a bit of Latin can help in this (court) case

French court definitively allows sale of CBD flowers and products

The new Conseil d’Etat decision overturns a previous government ban and has been welcomed by the industry

‘Pension age rise in France is unnecessary and will worsen inequality’

An economist tells us why he thinks President Macron really wants to increase the retirement age – it benefits business not pensioners

MAP: where in France do you now need winter tyres or snow chains?

A new law means the requirements can be enforced in 48 mountainous departments, but not all have opted to bring the rule in

Snow tyre law could be used by French car insurers to refuse claims

Although drivers will not be fined for non-compliance until next year, insurers say they may be exempt from cover in the case of an accident

France to launch grants for people to repair home electronic goods

Aid amount will depend on the type of appliance needing to be repaired with around 30 household items, including laptops and washing machines, deemed eligible

Do France’s new pet owner ‘contracts’ have any actual weight?

We look at what this contract involves and what happens if it is incomplete, left unsigned or not respected

People in France to be able to register or give up undeclared weapons

A new campaign aims to prevent these arms from being used in situations of domestic abuse or neighbour disputes, or from being stolen during a burglary

French hospital ordered to pay Jehovah’s Witness over transfusion

A French court has ruled a hospital must compensate a Jehovah’s Witness after staff administered a blood transfusion which the patient had explicitly refused

Reminder: Winter tyre rules enforced in French mountains from November

Drivers have been obliged to have the equipment since last winter, but will only now be fined for non-compliance. We look at the departments concerned

‘Polanski defenders are setting women’s rights back decades in France’

Columnist Nabila Ramdani gives her view after actress Emmanuelle Seigner said in an interview that her husband Roman Polanski should be “left in peace”

Levothyrox controversy in France: Merck indicted for ‘deception’

The French arm of the pharmaceutical giant said it is under investigation, in the latest twist in the long-running hypothyroidism drug saga

Court ruling raises issues for family members of EU citizens in France

The EU court has ruled on the right to an EU long-term resident’s card for close family members of Europeans living in another EU country

Traditional skylark hunting re-authorised in France again

The LPO has condemned the government’s decision to reauthorise hunting with traditional nets and cages, despite the Conseil d’Etat previously saying the move contravened EU law

Law