Criminal Law

If a crime has been committed, this is a mandatory phase during which the examining magistrate himself engages in many aspects of the judicial investigation.

Given that sentences are severe in criminal court, it is essential that a Network lawyer assist a defendant.

Network lawyer are prepared to intervene urgently in assisting people subjected to immediate appearance (‘comparution immédiate’) hearings.

Network lawyers also accompany victims when they appear in court to defend their rights, in particular when they are entitled to financial reparations.

Plea bargaining is an alternative to prosecution. The prosecutor may propose it in simple cases and when the person involved admits the facts.

If you are summoned to appear in criminal court it is important that rapidly you contact one of the network’s lawyers so that you can prepare your defense.

The ‘comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité’ – hearing following admission of guilt – is a procedure designed for culprits who admit to having committed the acts for which they are accused.

A ‘garde à vue’ is a restraining measure decided by a police officer when a suspect is — for one or multiple reasons — considered potentially guilty of having committed, or tried to commit, a crime or a misdemeanour punishable by prison time.