Subsection 4: Complaints

Any decision by the Professional Journalists Identity Card Committee may be appealed by the person concerned to the Higher Committee referred to in article R. 7111-32.

The time limit for lodging a complaint with the Higher Commission is one full month from notification of the decision to cancel, refuse to issue or renew the card. For persons domiciled in France who have been temporarily expelled for a recognised legitimate reason, the time limit for lodging a complaint with the High Commission is extended to six months.

The complaint must be sent by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the Chairman of the Board. It shall have suspensive effect. The Board shall rule in accordance with the conditions laid down in articles R. 7111-12 and R. 7111-13.

The chairman of the High Commission represents the State before the competent courts in the event of litigation relating to the decisions of this Commission, with the exception of appeals before the Conseil d’Etat.

The High Commission comprises: 1° A member of the Court of Cassation, in office or honorary, as chairman; 2° Two judges from the Paris Court of Appeal, in office or honorary; 3° A representative of the directors of newspapers, press agencies and audiovisual communication companies; 4° A representative of professional journalists.

The three judges on the High Commission and an alternate for each are appointed by the first president of the court to which they report. The representatives of the directors of newspapers, press agencies and audiovisual communication companies and of professional journalists, together with two alternates for each of them, are respectively appointed and elected simultaneously and under the same conditions as the members of the Professional Journalists Identity Card…

The office of representative on the High Commission is incompatible with that of member of the Professional Journalists Identity Card Commission.

Every three years, the entire Board is renewed. Retiring members may be reappointed or re-elected.