France has a civil law legal system based on the Napoleonic Code. This system is based on written codes, which are applied by judges in the court system.
The French legal system is divided into three main branches: Administrative law, Civil law, and Criminal law.
Administrative law governs the relationship between the government and its citizens, and is composed of two main elements: general law and special law. General law covers matters such as taxes, public works, and public health. Special law covers areas such as immigration, housing, and transportation.
Civil law deals with disputes between private individuals and organizations, and is divided into six main categories: contracts, property law, family law, torts, commercial law, and inheritance law.
Criminal law deals with offenses against society, such as murder, theft, and fraud. It is divided into two main branches: public law, which deals with offenses against the state, and private law, which deals with offenses against individuals.
France also has a system of specialized courts. These include the Conseil d’Etat, which is the highest administrative court, and the Cour de cassation, which is the highest court of appeals.