Police Tribunal (France)


A police tribunal is a criminal jurisdiction which judges all classes of contraventions committed by adults. More serious offenses are judged by a tribunal correctionnel, correctional tribunal, when they are délits or misdemeanors, or by a cour d'assises.

Composition

The police tribunal sits at the tribunal d'instance and is composed of a juge d'instance and a greffier, or court clerk. The ministère public is represented by the procureur de la République or one of his representatives, known as substituts if the offense is a fifth-degree contravention.

Jurisdiction

''Jurisdiction of subject (ratione materiæ)''

The police tribunal handles contraventions, except offenses punishable by a penalty of imprisonment or of fines greater than 3,000 euros, voire 4,000 euros
. The version approved November 18, 2016 provides for a few exceptions, such as an edict of the Conseil d'État. The police tribunal is also competent d'attribution, meaning it also has jurisdiction, in matters of customs, as provided by Article 356 of the Code des douanes, Code of Customs, which specifies that the "tribunaux de police connaissent des contraventions douanières et de toutes les questions douanières soulevées par voie d'exception,".

Jurisdiction of place (''ratione loci'')

The police tribunal may handle infractions from any of the following relevant scopes of authority:
The other compétence rules are identical to those of the tribunal correctionnel,.