Subtitle I: Public and civil proceedings

The absence of unintentional criminal fault within the meaning of Article 121-3 of the Criminal Code does not prevent an action being brought before the civil courts to obtain compensation for damage on the basis of article 1241 of the Civil Code if the existence of the civil fault provided for by this article is established or pursuant to article L. 452-1 of the Social Security Code if the existence…

A party who has brought his action before the competent civil court may not bring it before the criminal court. This is not the case unless the criminal court has been seised by the public prosecutor’s office before a judgment on the merits has been given by the civil court.

Even if the plaintiff has brought a civil action before the criminal court, the civil court, seised in summary proceedings, remains competent to order any provisional measures relating to the facts that are the subject of the proceedings, where the existence of the obligation is not seriously disputable.

Public prosecution for the enforcement of the penalty is extinguished by the death of the accused, prescription, amnesty, repeal of the criminal law and res judicata. However, if prosecution leading to conviction has revealed the falsity of the judgment or ruling that declared the public prosecution extinguished, the public prosecution may be resumed; the statute of limitations must then be considered as suspended from the day on which the judgment…

Where a felony or misdemeanour allegedly committed in the course of criminal proceedings or proceedings before a court involves the violation of a rule of procedure, public action may only be brought if the unlawful nature of the proceedings, the decision taken or the act performed on that occasion has been established by a decision that has become final of the criminal court seised or in application of the remedies…

Public prosecution of crimes shall be barred after twenty years have elapsed from the day on which the offence was committed. Public prosecution of the crimes mentioned in Articles 706-16,706-26and 706-167 of this code, to Articles 214-1 to 214-4 and 221-12 of the Penal Code and in Book IV bis of the same Code shall lapse after thirty years from the day on which the offence was committed. Public prosecution…

Public action for misdemeanours shall be barred after six years from the day on which the offence was committed. Public prosecution for the offences mentioned in article 706-47 of this code, when committed against minors, with the exception of those mentioned in articles 222-29-1 and 227-26 of the Penal Code, shall be time-barred after ten years from the age of majority of the latter. Public prosecution for the offences mentioned…

Public prosecution for contraventions is statute-barred one year after the day on which the offence was committed.

The limitation period for public prosecution of the crime provided for in Article 214-2 of the Penal Code, where it has led to the birth of a child, runs from the age of majority of the child. As an exception to the first paragraph of articles 7 and 8 of this Code, the limitation period for public prosecution of a concealed or hidden offence shall run from the day on…

The limitation period for public prosecution is interrupted by: 1° Any act, emanating from the public prosecutor or the civil party, tending to initiate the public prosecution, provided for in articles 80,82,87,88,388,531 and 532 of this code and to the article 65 of the law of 29 July 1881 on the freedom of the press ; 2° Any investigative act emanating from the public prosecutor’s office, any report drawn up…