Langue

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.

Statut de Rome

Article 50 Langues officielles et langues de travail

1. Les langues officielles de la Cour sont l'anglais, l'arabe, le chinois, l'espagnol, le français et le russe. Les arrêts de la Cour ainsi que les autres décisions réglant des questions fondamentales qui lui sont soumises sont publiés dans les langues officielles. La Présidence détermine, au regard des critères fixés par le Règlement de procédure et de preuve, quelles décisions peuvent être considérées aux fins du présent paragraphe comme réglant des questions fondamentales.

2. Les langues de travail de la Cour sont l'anglais et le français. Le Règlement de procédure et de preuve définit les cas dans lesquels d'autres langues officielles peuvent être employées comme langues de travail.

3. À la demande d'une partie à une procédure ou d'un État autorisé à intervenir dans une procédure, la Cour autorise l'emploi par cette partie ou cet État d'une langue autre que l'anglais ou le français si elle l'estime justifié.

Article 55 Droits des personnes dans le cadre d'une enquête

2. Lorsqu'il y a des motifs de croire qu'une personne a commis un crime relevant de la compétence de la Cour et que cette personne doit être interrogée, soit par le Procureur soit par les autorités nationales en vertu d'une demande faite au titre du chapitre IX, cette personne a de plus les droits suivants, dont elle est informée avant d'être interrogée :

c) Être assistée par le défenseur de son choix ou, si elle n'en a pas, par un défenseur commis d'office chaque fois que les intérêts de la justice l'exigent, sans avoir dans ce cas à verser de rémunération si elle n'en a pas les moyens ; et

Article 87 Demandes de coopération : dispositions générales

2. Les demandes de coopération et les pièces justificatives y afférentes sont soit rédigées dans une langue officielle de l'État requis ou accompagnées d'une traduction dans cette langue, soit rédigées dans l'une des langues de travail de la Cour ou accompagnées d'une traduction dans l'une de ces langues, selon le choix fait par l'État requis au moment de la ratification, de l'acceptation ou de l'approbation du présent Statut ou de l'adhésion à celui-ci.Toute modification ultérieure de ce choix est faite conformément au Règlement de procédure et de preuve.