BOOK I
EXERCISE OF PUBLIC PROSECUTION AND JUDICIAL INVESTIGATION

TITLE II
INQUIRIES AND IDENTITY CHECKS

CHAPTER I
FLAGRANT FELONIES AND MISDEMEANOURS

Article 56
Where the type of the felony is such that evidence of it may be collected by seizing papers, documents, electronic data or other articles in the possession of the persons who appear to be involved in the felony or to be in possession of documents, information or articles pertaining to the criminal offence, the judicial police officer proceeds forthwith to the domicile of such persons to initiate a search, in respect of which he draws up an official report.
He is the only person, together with those persons mentioned under article 57 and any persons upon whom he calls pursuant to article 60, to be allowed to examine the papers or documents electronic data before proceeding to seize them.
However, he has the duty first to initiate any step appropriate to ensure the observance of professional secrecy and of the defendant's rights.
Any article or document seized is immediately entered on an inventory and placed under official seals. However, if it is difficult to make such an inventory on the spot, they are put under temporary closed official seals until such time as an inventory can be taken and they can be placed under final official seals. This is done in the presence of the persons who have witnessed the search pursuant to the conditions set out by article 57.
The seizure of any electronic data necessary for the discovery of the truth is carried out by placing in the hands of justice, either the physical medium holding this data or a copy of the data made in the presence of those persons present at the seizure.
If a copy is made, then on the orders of the district prosecutor, any electronic data the possession or use of which is illegal or dangerous to the safety of persons or property may be permanently erased from any physical medium that has not been placed in judicial safekeeping.
With the agreement of the district prosecutor, the judicial police officer only allows the seizure of articles, documents or electronic data useful for the discovery of the truth.
Where the seizure involves money, ingots, property or securities, the preservation of which in their original form is not necessary for the discovery of the truth, the district prosecutor may authorise their deposit in the Deposit and Consignment Office or at the Bank of France.
Where the seizure involves forged euro bank notes or coins, the judicial police officer must send at least one example of each type of note or coin suspected of being false to the national laboratory authorised for this task, for analysis and identification,. The national laboratory may open the official seals. It draws up an inventory in a report which must mention any opening or re-opening of the seals. When these operations are completed, the report and the sealed objects are put into the hands of the clerk of the appropriate court. This transfer is recorded in an official report.
The provisions of the previous paragraph do not apply where only one example of a particular type of suspect banknote or coin exists and it is needed for the discovery of the truth.
If they are seem able to provide information about articles, documents or electronic data seized, the persons present when the seizure is made may be kept at the scene of the seizure by the judicial police officer for as long as is necessary to complete these operations.

BOOK I
EXERCISE OF PUBLIC PROSECUTION AND JUDICIAL INVESTIGATION

TITLE II
INQUIRIES AND IDENTITY CHECKS

CHAPTER II
THE PRELIMINARY POLICE INQUIRY

Article 77-1-1
The district prosecutor or on his authorisation a judicial police officer, may order any person, establishment or organisation, whether public or private, or any public services liable to possess any documents relevant to the inquiry in progress, including those produced from a registered computer or data processing system, to provide them with these documents. Without legitimate grounds, the duty of professional secrecy cannot be given as a reason for non-compliance with this order. Where these orders relate to the persons mentioned in articles 56-1 to 56-3, the transfer of these documents may only take place with their consent.
Where there is no response to these orders, the provisions of the second paragraph of article 60-1 are applicable.

BOOK IV
SOME SPECIFIC PROCEEDINGS

TITLE III
PROCEEDINGS IN THE EVENT OF DISAPPEARANCE OF DOCUMENTS OF A FILE

Article 648
Where through any extraordinary circumstance original copies of judgments made in felony, misdemeanour or petty offence matters and not yet enforced, or where proceedings are pending and the copies made in accordance with article 81 have been destroyed, removed or lost and where it has not been possible to restore them, the following procedure applies.

Article 649
If a copy or authenticated copy of the first-instance or appeal judgment exists, it is considered as the original copy and consequently handed over by any public officer or any depositary to the court office of the court which made the decision, on an order given to him by the president of this court.
This order counts as a discharge from his duty.

Article 650
Where in felony matters no copy nor authenticated copy of the judgment exist, but the finding of the court and jury entered on the question sheet as stated in article 364 is still in existence, a new judgment is drafted on the basis of this finding.

Article 651
Where the finding of the court and jury cannot be produced, or where the case was tried contumaciously and no such documents exist, the investigation is resumed starting from the point from which documents are missing.
The same applies in any matter where no copy or authenticated copy of the decision remain in existence.