▸ Area 01
Criminal & disciplinary
Whether under investigation or a victim, the gravity of a criminal or disciplinary proceeding turns less on the law itself than on how it is conducted — and on the quality of the defense mounted against it.
Criminal law covers a wide spectrum: garde à vue (police custody) in the first hours of an investigation, being placed under formal investigation (mise en examen) at the close of a judicial inquiry, and appearance before the tribunal correctionnel (the court for less serious offenses), the cour criminelle départementale, or the cour d'assises (the court for the most serious crimes). It also encompasses the tools of negotiated justice — penal mediation, the comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC, a guilty-plea procedure), and the convention judiciaire d'intérêt public (CJIP, a deferred-prosecution agreement) — whose role is growing in the handling of economic cases. The European Public Prosecutor's Office is a distinct forum for offenses affecting the financial interests of the European Union.
The firm acts at every stage of proceedings, in defense as well as alongside victims, in general criminal law, white-collar criminal law, criminal law relating to art and cultural property, press and media criminal law, and labor criminal law. The approach is multidisciplinary: the analysis of facts and law draws on the mechanics of argumentation and the behavioral sciences, which shape how a case is perceived by judges and jurors.
Disciplinary law is a distinct but complementary field. Regulated professions are subject to professional bodies or independent administrative authorities whose proceedings carry their own requirements. The firm defends individuals and organizations facing proceedings before these bodies, ensuring respect for the rights of the defense and the principle of adversarial process.
Matters
- Criminal defense — as victim or as person under investigation (voluntary interview, police custody, formal investigation, assisted witness, defendant, accused)
- General criminal law
- White-collar criminal law (misuse of corporate assets, fraud, money laundering, corruption, tax fraud)
- Criminal law relating to art and cultural property (trafficking, handling of stolen goods, forgery, fraud)
- Press and media criminal law
- Labor criminal law
- Consumer criminal law
- Environmental criminal law
- Negotiated justice: penal mediation, CRPC, CJIP
- Restorative justice
- Public and individual freedoms
- Disciplinary law for regulated professions
- Proceedings before professional bodies and independent administrative authorities
Forums
- Tribunal judiciaire (criminal division: tribunal correctionnel)
- Cour criminelle départementale
- Cour d'assises
- Chambre de l'instruction (investigating chamber)
- Court of Appeal
- National Financial Prosecutor's Office (Parquet national financier, PNF)
- European Public Prosecutor's Office
- Disciplinary courts of the regulated professions
- Independent administrative authorities (AMF, ACPR, ARCOM…)
Frequently asked questions
What should I do as soon as I am summoned for police custody (garde à vue)?
Garde à vue is a coercive measure placed under the supervision of the public prosecutor (procureur de la République). From the moment the measure is notified, the person has the right to be assisted by a lawyer during questioning. It is advisable to contact a lawyer before any appearance, where circumstances allow, in order to prepare for the confidential preliminary meeting to which every person in police custody is entitled. An initial conversation makes it possible to assess the situation and organize the defense from this early stage.
What is the difference between a CRPC and an ordinary trial?
The comparution sur reconnaissance préalable de culpabilité (CRPC) is a procedure in which the public prosecutor proposes a sentence to a person who admits the facts alleged against them. That sentence is then submitted for approval to a sitting judge. The procedure is faster than an ordinary trial, but it requires an admission of the facts, which has lasting consequences for the person concerned. Accepting or declining a CRPC is a strategic decision that calls for careful analysis of the case.
What is a convention judiciaire d'intérêt public (CJIP) for a company?
The CJIP is a mechanism allowing the public prosecutor to reach an agreement with a legal entity facing allegations of economic or environmental offenses. The agreement provides for payment of a public-interest fine, the implementation of a compliance program, and, where applicable, compensation for victims. It avoids formal charges and trial, but its conditions are strictly regulated and negotiating it requires rigorous preparation. An initial conversation makes it possible to assess whether a company is likely to be eligible.
How long does a judicial investigation (instruction) last?
The length of a judicial investigation varies considerably depending on the complexity of the case, the number of parties placed under formal investigation, and the inquiries conducted by the investigating judge. Statutory time limits govern pretrial detention, but the investigation itself can extend over several years in economic or financial cases. Remedies exist to challenge the length or the conditions of a custodial measure.
Can a person be defended before a disciplinary body in the same way as in criminal proceedings?
Disciplinary proceedings follow rules specific to each institution, distinct from the Code of Criminal Procedure. The rights of the defense — the right to be informed of the facts alleged, access to the file, the right to an adversarial hearing — nonetheless apply. Rigorous legal assistance matters all the more because disciplinary sanctions can permanently affect the practice of a regulated profession.