Duality and other specificities of the French court system (DUAL)

(Février 2022)

This course – taught in English - is split in three parts. The first part focuses on the duality of the French court system (administrative courts and judicial courts which have an ordinary or specific jurisdiction), on the specificity of the joint adjudicatory and advisory role played by the Council of the state at the top of the administrative court system and on the respective roles played by the Conflicts court and the Constitutional court. The second part of the course revolves around the litigation rules which apply before the judicial and administrative courts as well as around the French law professions, in particular those involved with contentious law (judges, advisers/legal representatives). The third and final part of the course looks into recent and forthcoming French reforms including the increasing digitalisation of the judicial process and the role played by ADR with the resolution of disputes as an alternative to the courts.