Language

France

France - Criminal Procedure Code 1959 (2006) EN

BOOK I
EXERCISE OF PUBLIC PROSECUTION AND JUDICIAL INVESTIGATION

TITLE II
INQUIRIES AND IDENTITY CHECKS

CHAPTER I
FLAGRANT FELONIES AND MISDEMEANOURS

Article 63-1
...
The information mentioned under the first paragraph must be given to the person held in custody in a language that he understands, where appropriate by using written forms.
Where the person is deaf and cannot read nor write, he must be assisted by a sign language interpreter or by some other person qualified in a language or method of communicating with the deaf. Use may also be made of any other means making it possible to communicate with persons who are deaf.

BOOK I
EXERCISE OF PUBLIC PROSECUTION AND JUDICIAL INVESTIGATION

TITLE III
INVESTIGATING JURISDICTIONS

CHAPTER I
THE INVESTIGATING JUDGE: THE FIRST-TIER INVESTIGATING JURISDICTION

SECTION IV
THE HEARING OF WITNESSES

Subsection 1
General provisions

Article 102
...
The investigating judge may call upon an interpreter who has reached the age of majority, other than his clerk or other witnesses. If the interpreter is not already sworn in, he swears an oath to bring his assistance to justice upon his honour and his conscience.
If the witness is deaf, the investigating judge officially appoints a sign-language interpreter or other qualified person able to communicate with deaf people to help him during the hearing.
This interpreter, if he is not under oath, swears an oath to bring his assistance to justice upon his honour and his conscience. Any other technical means of communicating with the witness may also be used.
If the deaf witness knows how to read and write, the investigating judge may also communicate with him by writing.

BOOK II
TRIAL COURTS

TITLE II
THE TRIAL OF MISDEMEANOURS

CHAPTER I
THE CORRECTIONAL COURT

SECTION IV
THE HEARINGS

Paragraph 1
Appearance of the defendant

Article 407
Where the defendant, the civil party or witness does not speak French sufficiently well, or if it is necessary to translate a document produced at the hearing, the presiding judge officially appoints an interpreter aged at least twenty-one, and gets him to take an oath to bring his assistance to justice upon his honour and his conscience.
The public prosecutor, the defendant and the civil party may challenge the interpreter by stating the grounds for their challenge. The court rules on this challenge and its decision is not open to any form of appeal.
The interpreter may not be chosen from the judges who make up the court, the jurors, the clerk at the hearing, the parties or witnesses, even with the consent of the defendant or of the public prosecutor.

Article 408
If the defendant is deaf, the presiding judge officially appoints a sign language interpreter, or any other qualified person who is able to talk to or communicate with deaf people, to help him during the trial. This interpreter swears an oath upon his honour and his conscience to bring his assistance to justice.
The presiding judge may also decide to use any other technical device enabling him to communicate with the deaf person.

BOOK IV
SOME SPECIFIC PROCEEDINGS

TITLE I
CO-OPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

CHAPTER I
JUDICIAL CO-OPERATION

SECTION II
ARRESTS AND TRANSFERS

Article 627-6
...
The prosecutor general of the same court informs the apprehended person, in a language that he understands, of the application for arrest for the purpose of transfer, and also of the charges brought against him.
If the person apprehended has already requested the presence of an advocate, who has been duly sent for, the prosecutor general hears his statement.
In all other cases, the prosecutor reminds him of his right to choose an advocate or to ask for one to be officially nominated for him. The chosen advocate, or in case of a request for one to be officially nominated the bâtonnier of the order of advocates, is informed at once by any means available. The advocate may look at the case file straight away, and may freely communicate with the apprehended person. The prosecutor general hears the latter's statement after informing him that he is free to not make one. This notification is recorded in the official record.

BOOK IV
SOME SPECIFIC PROCEEDINGS

TITLE I
CO-OPERATION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

CHAPTER I
JUDICIAL CO-OPERATION

SECTION II
ARRESTS AND TRANSFERS

Article 627-7
...
The public prosecutor and the requested person are heard, the latter assisted by his advocate if there is one and, if necessary, an interpreter.

BOOK IV
SOME SPECIFIC PROCEEDINGS

TITLE X
INTERNATIONAL JUDICIAL CO-OPERATION

CHAPTER V
EXTRADITION

SECTION II
EXTRADITION PROCEDURE UNDER THE RULES GENERALLY APPLICABLE

Article 696-10
...
After confirming the identity of the person, the judge informs him in a language he understands that he is the subject of an extradition application, and that he will appear before the territorially competent prosecutor general within seven days of his appearance before the district prosecutor.

Rome Statute

Article 50 Official and working languages

1. The official languages of the Court shall be Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The judgements of the Court, as well as other decisions resolving fundamental issues before the Court, shall be published in the official languages. The Presidency shall, in accordance with the criteria established by the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, determine which decisions may be considered as resolving fundamental issues for the purposes of this paragraph.

2. The working languages of the Court shall be English and French. The Rules of Procedure and Evidence shall determine the cases in which other official languages may be used as working languages.

3. At the request of any party to a proceeding or a State allowed to intervene in a proceeding, the Court shall authorize a language other than English or French to be used by such a party or State, provided that the Court considers such authorization to be adequately justified.

Article 55 Rights of persons during an investigation

2. Where there are grounds to believe that a person has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court and that person is about to be questioned either by the Prosecutor, or by national authorities pursuant to a request made under Part 9, that person shall also have the following rights of which he or she shall be informed prior to being questioned:

(c) To have legal assistance of the person's choosing, or, if the person does not have legal assistance, to have legal assistance assigned to him or her, in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by the person in any such case if the person does not have sufficient means to pay for it; and

Article 87 Requests for cooperation: general provisions

2. Requests for cooperation and any documents supporting the request shall either be in or be accompanied by a translation into an official language of the requested State or one of the working languages of the Court, in accordance with the choice made by that State upon ratification, acceptance, approval or accession. Subsequent changes to this choice shall be made in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.