Introduction

Role of the parties

Role of judge

Contentious matters

Concept

Powers of the judge

Principle of adversarial proceedings

Non-contentious matters

Underlying principles of civil proceedings

Right to bring civil action

Abuse of the right to bring proceedings

Type of action

Concept of action

Interest in bringing proceedings

Standing

Rules governing action

Legal action

Initial claim

Counterclaim

Additional claim

Intervention

Incidental claim

Interruption of limitation period

Application to file suit (demande en justice)

Defense on the merits

Procedural objections (exceptions de procédure)

Procedural bars to admissibility (fins de non-recevoir)

Defenses

Nature of claim

Amount of the claim

Jurisdiction ratione materiae

Principles

Exceptional territorial jurisdiction

Extension of jurisdiction

Territorial jurisdiction

Competent court

Formal requirements

Substantive requirements

Presentation of the QPC (Question prioritaire de constitutionnalité)

Referral to Court of Cassation

Referral to Constitutional Council

Referral of the QPC

Investigation procedure

Conduct of hearing

Decision of the Constitutional Council

Proceedings before Constitutional Council

Priority question of constitutionality (QPC)

Simplified case preparation procedure

Participative procedure for case preparation purposes

Extra-judicial case preparation

Recourse to technical expert

Agreements on extra-judicial case preparation (mise en état)

Disclosure of exhibits

Production of documents

Exhibits

Common provisions for investigations

Rules specific to each investigation

Investigative measures

Disputes concerning private deeds (actes sous seing privé)

Forgery procedure against authentic instruments

Challenges to documentary evidence

Oath sworn as decisive evidence

Oath tendered by way of supplementation

Judicial oath

Administration of evidence

Hearings

Deliberations

Judgment

Formation

Judgment after adversarial proceedings

Judgment by default or judgment after trial

Contentious or non-contentious judgment

Judgment on the merits or provisional ruling (avant dire droit)

Combined judgment

Provisional judgment

Judgment in fast track proceedings

Types

Joinder and severance of proceedings

Interruption of proceedings

Suspension of proceedings

Discontinuance of proceedings (extinction)

Procedural incidents

Plea of lack of jurisdiction

Recusal/Dismissal for legitimate suspicion

Challenging the judge's competence

General rules

Voluntary intervention

Compulsory intervention

Joinder in proceedings (intervention)

Existence of a judgment

Same subject matter, cause, and parties

Authority of res judicata

General conditions of enforcement

Provisional enforcement

Grace period

Enforcement of the judgment

Bearing of costs

Order to pay non-recoverable costs

Verification/Recovery

Claims/Disputes

Costs and expenses

Ordinary remedies

Extraordinary remedies

Remedies

Judgments

Calculation of time-limits

Acts of judicial commissioners

Service of documents

Ordinary notification

Notification between lawyers

International notification

Place of notification

Notification

Communication by electronic means

Procedural acts

1. Ordinary Law of Civil Procedure

When the court orders the personal appearance of the parties, it must set the place, day, and time, unless it is conducted immediately . This must take place in the presence of the defenders of all parties or with them summoned (Art. 192 CPC). The hearing may be public or held in chambers (Art. 188 CPC).

The parties are questioned in each other's presence, unless circumstances require them to be questioned separately. They must be confronted if one of the parties requests it (Art. 189, para. 1 CPC). In cases where the appearance of only one party has been ordered, that party must be questioned in the presence of the other unless circumstances require immediate questioning or questioning outside their presence, subject to the right of the absent party to be immediately informed of the statements made by the party heard (Art. 189, para. 2 CPC). In all cases, the absence of one party does not prevent the other from being heard (Art. 189, para. 3 CPC).

During the hearing, the parties may be questioned in the presence of a specialist and confronted with the witnesses (Art. 190 CPC). They must personally answer questions asked of them without reading any pre-written draft (Art. 191 CPC). Furthermore, the court may, if deemed necessary, ask the questions submitted by the parties after the interrogation (Art. 193 CPC).

CPC, Art. 187 CPC; Cass. 2e civ., 25 May 1976, LawLex202300003531JBJ, holding that when a party heard at the hearing has admitted facts, it follows implicitly but necessarily from these statements that the personal appearance was ordered and took place immediately.

Organization of the hearing

141. Organization of the hearing