Title XVII: Time limits, bailiff's documents and notifications.

The Minister of Justice forwards the documents addressed to him to the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the judicial court within whose jurisdiction they are to be served or to the national chamber of bailiffs, unless by virtue of a treaty transmission can be effected directly by the foreign authorities to the Public Prosecutor’s Office or to the national chamber of bailiffs and subject to all other methods of notification. He…

Where service is effected by the Public Prosecutor, it shall be effected by simple delivery and free of charge, against a receipt attesting to the date and conditions of delivery. .

The national chamber of judicial officers shall forward the documents addressed to it to a judicial officer territorially competent to serve them.

The requesting party is required to advance the costs of service subject to existing international conventions.

The document shall be served in the language of the State of origin. However, an addressee who does not know the language in which the document is drawn up may refuse service and request that it be translated into or accompanied by a translation into French, at the request and expense of the requesting party. The authority responsible for service shall inform the addressee of the document of this possibility….

Documents evidencing the execution or non-execution of requests for service shall be transmitted back through the same channels by which the requests were forwarded.

The execution of a request for service may be refused by the French authority if it is likely to prejudice the sovereignty or security of the State. It may also be refused if the request is not made in accordance with the provisions of this code.