MCP/Guidelines/FR

Jurisdiction: French law

Supplements core safety guidelines with rules specific to French law (tags={"jurisdiction": "fr"}).

For French users, pass language="fr" on every search/get_document/browse_structure call. The corpus is overwhelmingly French (60M+ documents) so this is the typical default, but the parameter is always required — see the global Language guideline. The same legal text may exist in multiple language variants and the LLM must specify which one it wants.

tags["jurisdiction"] is also REQUIRED on every search and browse_structure call. Use "fr" for French law only, "eu|fr" for combined FR + EU (recommended for cross-border issues), or "*" for all jurisdictions.

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Which tool for which question

All examples below assume tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", ...}. Combine with "eu|fr" for cross-border questions.

• Employment law (dismissal, contract, salary, working hours): search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation", "code": "Code du travail"}) for statutory floor, then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation", "source": "kali|acco"}) for collective and company agreements, then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision"}) for interpretation.
• Civil law (contracts, liability, property, family): search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation"}) for Code civil / Code de la consommation / Code de la construction, then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision"}).
• Criminal law (offenses, penalties, procedure): search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation", "code": "Code pénal"}) or "code": "Code de procédure pénale", then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision"}).
• Tax law: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation"}) for CGI / LPF, then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "source": "bofip"}) for BOFiP interpretation, then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision"}).
• Data protection / GDPR: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "eu", "kind": "legislation"}) for RGPD, search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation"}) for loi Informatique et Libertés, search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "source": "cnil"}) for CNIL guidelines, search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cnil"}) for sanctions. ⚠️ "RGPD" as FTS term returns few EU results — prefer "données à caractère personnel" OR "protection des données", or direct CELEX: get_document("32016R0679").
• Administrative law: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation"}) for relevant code (urbanisme, environnement, CESEDA...), search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "administratif"}) for CE / CAA / TA decisions.
• Company information: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "record"}) for RNE registry + BODACC announcements.
• Legislative intent: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "source": "parliamentary"}) for debates when a text is ambiguous.
• EU law: use "jurisdiction": "eu" or "eu|fr". search(tags={"jurisdiction": "eu", "kind": "decision"}) for CJUE/CEDH.
• QPC (constitutionality): search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "constitutionnel"}).
• Public accounting / financial discipline: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cour_des_comptes"}) for CdC, search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "chambre_regionale_des_comptes"}) for CRC.

When in doubt: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "legislation"}) first, then search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision"}). Cross-reference both.

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Search — French legal synonyms

Same concept, different words across texts and eras. Use OR:

• licenciement / rupture du contrat de travail / congédiement
• vice caché / défaut de conformité / garantie des vices
• préjudice / dommage / réparation
• faute lourde / faute grave / faute inexcusable
• clause abusive / clause léonine / déséquilibre significatif
• responsabilité / obligation de réparation
• bail / contrat de location / louage
• mise en demeure / sommation / interpellation

Example: "vice caché" OR "défaut de conformité".

Multi-word concepts MUST use quotes: "action de groupe", "preuve déloyale", "abus de position dominante".

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Search — numeric literals

Thousands separator: space. Amounts ≥ 4 digits: OR both forms, quote the spaced form.

 seuil 10000 OR seuil "10 000"

Skip: years (2024), case numbers (19-15.165), article numbers (L.1235-1), decimals (10,5).

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Normative hierarchy

Constitution > treaties/EU law > "loi" > "ordonnance ratifiée" > "décret" > "arrêté" > "circulaire" (not binding on courts).

Codification prefixes

• L. = legislative ("loi", Parliament). Highest within a code.
• R. = regulatory ("décret en Conseil d'État").
• D. = regulatory ("décret simple").
• A. = ministerial order ("arrêté").
• No prefix = old codes not recodified (Code civil, Code pénal pre-1994).

L. > R. within same code. Same number, different prefix = different articles (L.1234-5 ≠ R.1234-5). If R. contradicts L., L. prevails. Include exact prefix in search queries. Test format variations: L. 121-1 / L121-1 / L.121-1.

EU law interaction

• Regulation = directly applicable, no transposition.
• Directive = requires transposition. Untransposed after deadline → invocable vertically (vs State) but NOT horizontally (between private parties).
• Harmonized areas (data protection, competition, consumer): check FR + EU sources. Use "jurisdiction": "eu" or "eu|fr".
• CJEU preliminary ruling (art. 267 TFEU) = interprets EU law, does NOT decide national case.
• ECHR: margin of appreciation. Ruling vs Italy ≠ automatically applies to France.
• Charter Art.7 (private life) and Art.8 (data protection) ≠ ECHR Convention Art.8 (private life). Same wording, different instruments — never confuse.

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Major reforms — renumbering traps

Obligations (ordonnance 2016-131, effective 1 Oct 2016)

Key renumbering: 1134→1103+1104, 1147→1231-1, 1382→1240, 1383→1241, 1384→1242. Pre-2016 decisions cite old numbers — still valid case law but articles renumbered. CRITICAL: contracts before 1 Oct 2016 → old articles apply. Don't apply new numbering to old contracts.

Security interests (ordonnance 2021-1192, effective 1 Jan 2022)

Reorganized Code civil Book IV ("sûretés").

Criminal justice for minors (effective 30 Sep 2021)

"Code de justice pénale des mineurs" replaced 1945 "ordonnance."

Criminal procedure (loi n° 2024-364 du 22 avril 2024, effective 1 Jul 2024)

Articles 63 et seq. CPP (garde à vue) modified. Check version applicable: pre- or post-1 Jul 2024.

Transitional law

Applicable version = date of facts, not date of question. Non-retroactivity (art. 2 CC). Immediate application of new procedural law. Criminal "in mitius" (more lenient = retroactive). Check transitional articles in recently reformed texts.

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Court system

court_level mapping (T1 tag)

Apex per judicial order (judiciaire / administratif / financier). Pair with court for FR-specific precision.

• supreme — cour_cassation (judiciaire), conseil_etat (administratif), cour_des_comptes (financier)
• appellate — cour_appel, cour_administrative_appel, tribunal_superieur_appel, cour_appel_financiere
• first_instance — tribunal_judiciaire, conseil_prudhommes, tribunal_commerce, tribunal_administratif, chambre_regionale_des_comptes, cour_discipline_budgetaire_financiere
• constitutional — conseil_constitutionnel
• null — tribunal_conflits (sui generis), CNIL / CADA / AMF

Judicial order

• Cour de cassation: supreme. Controls law, not facts. "Publié au bulletin" = jurisprudential value.
  • "Assemblée plénière" > "Chambre mixte" > individual chamber (civ.1, civ.2, civ.3, com., soc., crim.)
• Cours d'appel: rejudge facts + law.
• Tribunal judiciaire (tribunal_judiciaire): general first instance. Conseil de prud'hommes (conseil_prudhommes): labor. Tribunal de commerce (tribunal_commerce): commercial.

Administrative order

• Conseil d'État: supreme admin court + government advisor ("avis" ≠ "arrêts").
• Cour administrative d'appel (cour_administrative_appel) > Tribunal administratif (tribunal_administratif).

Specialized

• Conseil constitutionnel: QPC can invalidate provisions.
• Tribunal des conflits: judicial vs admin jurisdiction conflicts.
• CNIL: guidelines → search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "source": "cnil"}). Sanctions → search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cnil"}).
• CADA: access to admin documents. Opinions → search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "source": "cada"}).

Financial order

• Cour des comptes (cour_des_comptes): apex of the financial order. Since 2023: 1st instance (contentious chamber, absorbed CDBF) + cassation over CAF. Pre-2023: appellate for CRC. search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cour_des_comptes"}).
• Chambres régionales des comptes (chambre_regionale_des_comptes): first instance for local authorities. search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "chambre_regionale_des_comptes"}).
• Cour de discipline budgétaire et financière (cour_discipline_budgetaire_financiere): abolished 2023, integrated into CdC contentious chamber. Historical decisions (1954-2022) remain searchable. search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cour_discipline_budgetaire_financiere"}).
• Cour d'appel financière (cour_appel_financiere, CAF): created 2023, hears appeals from CRC and CdC contentious chamber. Reviewed en cassation by CdC. search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cour_appel_financiere"}).

Publication grades (official_grade)

Administrative courts (PUBLI_RECUEIL):

• A: "Publié au Recueil Lebon" (conseil_etat and tribunal_conflits only) — highest_importance
• B: "Mentionné aux Tables du Lebon" (conseil_etat and tribunal_conflits only) — high_importance
• R: "Intérêt jurisprudentiel majeur" (cour_administrative_appel and tribunal_administratif — equivalent of A) — highest_importance
• C+: "Intérêt signalé" (cour_administrative_appel and tribunal_administratif — equivalent of B) — high_importance
• C: "Inédit" — low_importance
• D, Z: "Intérêt limité aux parties" — minimal_importance

Cour de cassation (post-2021):

• rapport: "Sélectionné pour le Rapport annuel" — highest_importance
• bulletin: "Publié au Bulletin des arrêts" — high_importance
• diffuse: "Diffusé sur Légifrance" — low_importance
• non_diffuse: "Non diffusé" — minimal_importance

Cour de cassation (pre-2021, decisions before 2021-06-15):

• rapport (R): "Rapport annuel" — highest_importance
• bulletin (ancien P): "Publié au Bulletin" — high_importance
• bulletin_information (ancien B): "Mentionné au BICC" — medium_importance
• internet (ancien I): "Diffusé sur internet" — low_importance
• diffuse (ancien D): "Diffusé aux bases" — low_importance

Lower courts (cour_appel, tribunal_judiciaire, tribunal_commerce):

• particular_interest: "Arrêt d'intérêt particulier" — highest_importance (only ~1,400 decisions out of 1.25M)

Financial courts (cour_des_comptes, chambre_regionale_des_comptes, cour_discipline_budgetaire_financiere, cour_appel_financiere):

• recueil: "Publié au Recueil des juridictions financières" — high_importance (~25% of decisions)

Formations (ascending solemnity)

Cour de cassation: F: "formation restreinte" (reduced_bench) < standard chamber (standard_bench) < FS: "formation de section" (grand_bench) < FP: "formation plénière de chambre" (grand_bench) < "Chambre mixte" (combined_chambers) < "Assemblée plénière" (full_court). Note: at the Cass, "Chambre mixte" (combined_chambers) outranks "formation plénière" (grand_bench) — diverges from generic solemnity ordering.

Conseil d'État: "Juge des référés" (single_judge) < "Formation à 3" (reduced_bench) < "Chambre seule" (standard_bench) < "Chambres réunies"/SSR (combined_chambers) < "Section du contentieux" (grand_bench) < "Assemblée du contentieux" (full_court)

Reading a decision

Structure: visa ("Vu l'article...") = legal basis → motifs = reasoning (ratio decidendi + obiter dicta) → dispositif ("PAR CES MOTIFS") = operative part (res judicata).

Key terms:

• "Casse et annule" = quashes (→ "renvoi", case NOT over)
• "Casse sans renvoi" = quashes and decides directly
• "Rejette" = upholds appealed decision
• "Infirme"/"confirme" = reverses/upholds (appeal)
• "Débouté" = claim dismissed (civil) ≠ "relaxé" = acquitted (criminal)
• "Irrecevable" = inadmissible (can't examine merits) ≠ "mal fondé" = rejected on merits

Post-2019: Cass. switched from "Attendu que" to direct style. Both equally authoritative. Processual roles change between instances — identify WHO is WHO in each decision.

Decision analysis — French courts

Supplements core "Structured decision analysis" (§5).

Cour de cassation:

• Claims = "moyen du pourvoi" (grounds the party argues Cass should quash on) vs cour d'appel position. Moyen ≠ court's position — it's what the party claims was wrong.
• Visa ("Vu l'article...") = legal basis. Visa + cassation = lower court violated that text.
• Chapeau = principle stated before application. May be narrower or broader than statutory text.
• Cass controls law, not facts (see "Court system" above). Do not extract factual findings from a Cass decision — those are the lower court's. Cass says whether the law was correctly applied.

Conseil d'État:

• More explicit reasoning than Cass. "Considérant" → direct style since 2019.
• CE may raise moyens d'ordre public and reformulate the legal question beyond parties' framing.
• Avis contentieux: same structure, no dispositif — answers question, does not decide case.
• Dispositif: numbered articles ("Article 1er: ...").

Conseil constitutionnel (QPC):

• Saisine: who referred, which provision challenged, which rights invoked.
• Dispositif: conformité / non-conformité / conformité sous réserve. The reservation IS the holding — often more important than the conformity declaration.
• Abrogation may be deferred ("à compter du...") — check effective date before citing.

Cour d'appel / Tribunal judiciaire (cour_appel / tribunal_judiciaire):

• Rejudge facts AND law. Factual findings are the court's own.
• Less standardized structure — locate legal issue and reasoning chain in longer prose.

Case number formats

Court (court tag value)	Format	Example
cour_cassation	YY-NN.NNN	24-14.752
cour_appel / tribunal_judiciaire	YY/NNNNN	21/00091
conseil_etat	NNNNNN (sequential)	486329
tribunal_administratif / cour_administrative_appel	YYLLNNNNN (year + court code)	24PA01233
conseil_constitutionnel	YYYY-NNN TYPE	2021-823 DC
tribunal_conflits	CNNNN	C4321
cour_des_comptes	S-YYYY-NNNN	S-2025-0381
cour_discipline_budgetaire_financiere	NNN-NNN	264-865

Cass. pourvoi: digits 3-4 of the sequence correlate with chamber (80-89 = criminal, ~10-25 = civil/commercial/social). A "Cass. civ. 1re" citing n°25-85.337 is suspicious — 85 suggests criminal chamber.

"Référés"

Provisional measures ("liberté", "suspension", "provision", "expertise"). Single judge, "ordonnance." Lower standard: "urgence" + "doute sérieux"/"moyens sérieux." Provisional only, no res judicata on merits. Always flag provisional nature when citing.

"Avis contentieux"

Advisory opinions: Cass (since 1991, L441-1 COJ), CE (since 1987, L113-1 CJA). Novel legal questions from lower courts. Not binding but highly persuasive. No res judicata, no parties. search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "type": "advisory_opinion"}).

⚠️ EU AG opinions (CJEU Advocate General): not yet ingested — type=advisory_opinion with jurisdiction="eu" returns 0 results.

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Labor law

Three-tier hierarchy

"Code du travail" (statutory floor) → "convention collective de branche" → "accord d'entreprise." Since 2017 Macron ordonnances: company agreements can override branch in most areas EXCEPT locked domains ("minima salariaux", "classifications", "mutualisation formation", "prévoyance").

bargaining_level (T2 tag)

Filters collective / company agreements by negotiation level. Currently emitted (acco source): enterprise (accord d'entreprise), sectoral (accord de branche). ADR also defines inter_sectoral, territorial (not yet populated). Example: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "source": "acco", "bargaining_level": "enterprise"}).

IDCC

Each collective agreement has an IDCC number. IDCCs merge (metallurgy → IDCC 3248, 2024). Never assume IDCC is current.

Categories

Different rules per category: "ouvriers", "employés", ETAM, "cadres." Check section_path in results.

Applicable agreement

Depends on EMPLOYER's main activity, not employee's job. Developer at industrial company → metallurgy, not Syntec.

Sources

• kali = official texts (DILA/Légifrance). acco = filed company agreements.
• "Étendue" = all employers in sector. Non-extended = only signatory members.

Critical

Never from memory on amounts/durations/IDCC. Frequent amendments by "avenant."

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Legislation

Territorial scope

• Alsace-Moselle: local law for associations (not "loi 1901"), local social security, civil bankruptcy, extra holidays (Good Friday, 26 Dec), "livre foncier."
• DOM (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyane, Réunion, Mayotte): FR law with adaptations. Mayotte: specific labor code, customary personal status. L7xx articles = overseas — don't cite for metropolitan.
• COM (Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis): "spécialité législative" — FR law does NOT apply unless expressly stated.

Text types

Code, "loi" (Parliament), "ordonnance" (gov + parliamentary authorization), "décret", "arrêté." "Circulaire" = admin interpretation, NOT in this database (→ circulaires.gouv.fr), not binding on courts.

nature tag (T3 precision)

Source-native classification, slugified (lowercase, no accents, spaces → _). Use when T1 type / document_form are too broad.

• Legislation (LEGI): loi, loi_organique, decret, ordonnance, arrete.
• Decisions: arret, ordonnance, avis; Conseil constitutionnel: dc, qpc, lp, lom.

Example: search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "nature": "qpc"}) — QPC decisions only. Use discover="nature" to enumerate actual values.

JORF (Journal officiel)

JORF is the official gazette — the original publication of all legislation. LEGI is the consolidated version. Both are in the corpus. JORF is hidden from default search (LEGI is preferred). To search JORF explicitly: search(tags={"source": "jorf"}). JO issues (gazette containers): search(kind="notice", tags={"source": "jorf", "type": "gazette_publication"}). Resolve a JO issue: get_document(reference="JO du 11 avril 2026"). LEGI↔JORF linked by source_text edges — visible in get_document results.

Code abbreviations

Common abbreviations in legal writing — the resolver normalizes these automatically: C. civ. = Code civil, C. com. = Code de commerce, C. trav. = Code du travail, C. pén. = Code pénal, CPC = Code de procédure civile, CPP = Code de procédure pénale, CGI = Code général des impôts, CSS = Code de la sécurité sociale, C. cons./C. conso. = Code de la consommation, CPI = Code de la propriété intellectuelle, CMF = Code monétaire et financier, CSP = Code de la santé publique, CJA = Code de justice administrative, CGCT = Code général des collectivités territoriales. Full list: lister_codes_juridiques or get_document(reference="<abbreviation>").

Enforcement status

See "Enforcement status" section below for canonical values used in tags.

Suppletive vs mandatory

• Mandatory ("ordre public"): "toute clause contraire est réputée non écrite." Cannot override.
• Suppletive: "sauf stipulation contraire." Contract can override → mention this caveat.

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Doctrine

BOFiP

Tax administration's official interpretation. Opposable to fisc (cannot apply less favorable position). NOT binding on courts. Series: IR, IS, TVA, BIC, BNC, CF.

CNIL

Guidelines/recommendations = soft law. Widely followed, used by courts as diligence standard. Sanctions (fines, formal notices) → search(tags={"jurisdiction": "fr", "kind": "decision", "court": "cnil"}), NOT here.

CADA

Advisory opinions on access to admin documents.

NOT available

Academic doctrine (treatises, case commentaries) is NOT in this server. Flag this gap when relevant.

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Deadline computation

• "Jours francs": notification day and expiration day don't count.
• "Jours calendaires": all days. "Jours ouvrables": Mon-Sat minus holidays. "Jours ouvrés": Mon-Fri minus holidays.
• Expires on Sat/Sun/holiday → extended to next business day (art. 642 CPC).
• Prescription start: often "date holder knew or should have known" (art. 2224 CC), not event date. Hidden defects: date of discovery, not sale.
• Interruption ("assignation", debt recognition) → restarts clock. Suspension (mediation, minority) → freezes clock.

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Common traps

• "Obligation de moyens" (creditor proves fault) vs "résultat" (debtor presumed liable unless force majeure).
• "Responsabilité contractuelle" ≠ "délictuelle." No cumulation. Different regime, different prescription.
• "Nullité" (never existed) ≠ "résolution" (retroactive destruction) ≠ "résiliation" (future only).
• "Bonne foi" (art. 1104 CC): mandatory in all contracts. Formally compliant but bad faith → sanctioned.
• "Abus de droit": exercising right solely to harm → sanctioned.
• "Enrichissement injustifié" (art. 1303 CC): subsidiary only — not available if other basis exists.
• "Solidarité ne se présume pas" (art. 1310 CC) — must be in contract or statute.
• "Loi" without "décret d'application" = potentially inapplicable. Check 'Implementing texts' in get_document. Text mentions "fixé par décret" but no decree → flag.
• Non-retroactivity of laws. Exception: criminal law "in mitius."
• "Exécution provisoire de droit" since 2020: first-instance judgments immediately enforceable. Appeal ≠ suspension.
• Contract qualification ≠ party denomination: "prestation de services" with subordination = "contrat de travail."
• 4 "bail" types = 4 regimes: habitation (loi 1989) ≠ commercial ≠ professionnel ≠ rural.
• 3 couple regimes: "mariage" (+ "régime matrimonial") ≠ PACS ≠ "concubinage."
• Construction: 3 warranties ("parfait achèvement" 1y, "biennale" 2y, "décennale" 10y).
• Medical liability: 3 regimes ("faute", "perte de chance", "infection nosocomiale").
• Digital: "hébergeur" ≠ "éditeur" (LCEN/DSA — different liability).
• Proof: free (criminal, commercial), regulated >1500€ civil (1359 CC). Burden: claimant (1353 CC), reversed in harassment (shared), consumer (conformity presumed). Illegally obtained proof: admissible if proportionate (Ass. plén. 22 Dec 2023).
• "Titre exécutoire" required for enforcement. "Astreinte" for non-compliance, separate liquidation.
• "Trêve hivernale" (1 Nov – 31 Mar): no eviction of primary residence occupants (L412-6 CPCE). Check exceptions and dates — calendar may shift.

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Citation self-check — FR illustrations

Core rule 3b applied to French law:

• Source match: L442-1 C.com ≠ L442-1 C.civ — same number, different code, different rule. Verify code name.
• Content fidelity: art. 1240 — "oblige à indemniser" ≠ "oblige celui par la faute duquel il est arrivé à le réparer." The word "faute" is the entire condition.
• Completeness: art. 1103 (force obligatoire) without art. 1104 (bonne foi) and ordre public exceptions is half the picture.
• Decision reality: Cass. civ. 1re, 15 mars 2023, n°21-12.345 — correct format, plausible date, real chamber. But if not retrieved via tools: fabricated. See "Case number formats" above for valid patterns.
• Attribution: Cass. com. ≠ Cass. civ. 1re — different chamber, different authority, potentially opposite rule on same question. Pourvoi digits 3-4 in 80-89 range → likely criminal, not civil.

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Practical reflexes

• Prescription: 5y civil (2224 CC), 2y consumer (L218-2 C.conso), 10y bodily (2226 CC), 1y dismiss (L1471-1 C.trav), 3y salary (L3245-1 C.trav), 2mo admin (R421-1 CJA), 6y "délit", 20y "crime", 1y "contravention." Start = "knew or should have known", not event date. Always check — user may be right on substance but time-barred.
• Short deadlines: contesting dismissal 12 months, building permit 2 months, "référé" urgency.
• Pre-litigation: "mise en demeure" often mandatory. Mediation mandatory in some consumer and labor disputes. "Recours gracieux" / "hiérarchique" in admin law.
• Multiple avenues: same problem → civil + criminal + admin paths. Criminal acquittal ≠ civil immunity.
• Insurance: "RC pro", "protection juridique", D&O, "décennale." Always ask if user has legal protection insurance.
• Collective proceedings ("sauvegarde"/"redressement judiciaire"/"liquidation judiciaire"): individual actions frozen. Check before pursuing.
• Annual amounts: SMIC, tax brackets, "taux d'intérêt légal", "plafond sécurité sociale" change annually. Always date amounts. Flag potential staleness.

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Data limitations — French sources

What is NOT in this corpus (flag explicitly when relevant):

• First-instance decisions (TJ, CPH, TC): not systematically published. Practice may differ from supreme courts.
• Academic doctrine (treatises, "fascicules", "notes d'arrêt"): NOT available. Only BOFiP + CNIL + CADA.
• Circulaires: not in database. → circulaires.gouv.fr (not binding on courts anyway).
• Notarial practice and customs: not available.
• Pénal: limited coverage of criminal court decisions (Cass. crim. is in, but lower criminal courts are sparse).
• Avocats consultations / mémos internes / DD: confidential, not available.
• Recent enactments: ingestion lag. Always flag for very recent texts (< 48h).

Decision sources — search by court, not source

Overlapping sources: cass, inca, judilibre = Cour de cassation; jade, ce_opendata, judilibre = admin courts; capp, judilibre = cours d'appel; jufi = financial courts (CdC, CRC, CDBF, CAF — ~3,500 decisions, 1954-present). Dedup keeps one copy. Use "court": "cour_cassation", not "source": "cass". source filtering may miss decisions.

Legislation sources — LEGI vs JORF

legi = consolidated legislation (versioned, with enforcement_status). jorf = official gazette (original publication, no versioning). Same text exists in both with different IDs (LEGITEXT/JORFTEXT). JORF hidden from default search — LEGI preferred. JORF adds: JO issue structure, visas, ministère metadata. ~4% of JORF texts have no LEGI counterpart (nominations, old texts).

Stemming gotchas (FR)

PostgreSQL stemming covers many forms but NOT all. Common pairs to OR explicitly:

• "contractuel" ≠ "contrat"
• "prescription" ≠ "prescrire"
• "responsabilité" matches "responsable" (OK)
• "juger" matches "jugement" (OK)

When in doubt, use OR.

Enforcement status

Tag: enforcement_status (canonical international values)

• in_force = currently in force
• deferred_enforcement = enacted but not yet applicable → flag the future effective date
• deferred_repeal = still in force until a future date → cite but flag the upcoming repeal
• repealed = repealed → NEVER cite as current law
• superseded = historical version, a newer version exists → cite the newer version
• never_in_force = modified before its effective date, never applied → never cite
• expired = lapsed by its own terms (sunset clause) → no longer applicable
• annulled = struck down by a court (typically retroactive) → never cite
• transferred = content moved to a different article (renumbering) → cite the new location
• denounced = collective agreement repudiated by a party → no longer applies
• disjoined = version split into multiple articles → cite the resulting articles
• conditional = in force only under a specific interpretation (constitutional reservation)
• pending = adopted but awaiting ratification

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Danger — French emergency resources

When danger detected (see core guidelines §6):

• Emergency: 17 (police) / 15 (SAMU) / 18 (pompiers) / 112 (European)
• Emergency SMS: 114 (for people who cannot speak — domestic violence, disability)
• Gendarmerie chat: https://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/contact/echanger-avec-un-gendarme (24/7, anonymous — for non-emergency; call 17 if urgent)
• Online reporting: internet-signalement.gouv.fr (Pharos)
• Legal aid: SOS Avocats (consultation gratuite), local "ordre des avocats"
• Government: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F20706
• Domestic violence: 3919 (Violences Femmes Info)
• Child danger: 119 (Enfance en danger)