Section 5: Hearings

The Cour nationale du droit d’asile shall provide the applicant, free of charge, with an interpreter to assist him/her at the hearing, who has taken an oath to assist justice in his/her honour and conscience, before the president of the court or one of the vice-presidents.The interpreter shall be appointed in the language defined under the conditions provided for in Article L. 521-8.

The rapporteur reads out the report, which analyses, in complete independence, the subject of the request and the factual and legal elements presented by the parties, and mentions the elements likely to enlighten the debate, without taking sides on the meaning of the decision.The main elements of the report are translated for the claimant, if he or she requires the assistance of an interpreter.After reading the report, and unless the…

A party who, less than seven clear days before the close of the written investigation, has received either a statement or exhibits, or any of the information provided for in Article R. 532-26, may present at the hearing any oral observations that it considers useful to respond to this statement or information.

The panel deliberates in the absence of the parties. The rapporteur does not have the right to vote.The decision is taken by a majority of votes. A copy of the list of the hearing mentioning the meaning of the decisions thus reached is signed by the members of the judgment panel.Persons who take part in or attend the deliberations are subject to the obligation to respect secrecy under penalty of…