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Article 320 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure

If the accused does not comply with the summons, the president may order that he be brought before the court by force; he may also, after reading out at the hearing the report recording his resistance, order that, notwithstanding his absence, the proceedings be dispensed with.

After each hearing, the record of the proceedings will be read to the accused who has not appeared by the clerk of the assize court, and he will be served with a copy of the prosecution’s submissions and the judgments handed down by the court, all of which are deemed to be contradictory.

Original in French 🇫🇷
Article 320
Si l’accusé n’obtempère pas à la sommation, le président peut ordonner qu’il soit amené par la force devant la cour ; il peut également, après lecture faite à l’audience du procès-verbal constatant sa résistance, ordonner que, nonobstant son absence, il soit passé outre aux débats.

Après chaque audience, il est, par le greffier de la cour d’assises, donné lecture à l’accusé qui n’a pas comparu du procès-verbal des débats, et il lui est signifié copie des réquisitions du ministère public ainsi que des arrêts rendus par la cour, qui sont tous réputés contradictoires.

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