Tribunal d'instance

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In France, the Tribunal d'instance (Court of Instance) is a civil court for minor litigation and a criminal court for minor offences (contraventions). These are first instance courts, meaning that their rulings can be appealed (appel or cassation).

In the Court of Instance proceedings are in principle oral and it not compulsory to be represented by an attorney (avocat or avoué) as in most other courts.

Other First instance courts of the judiciary system (i.e. not including the administrative courts which are apart) are:

Juge de proximité (for very minor civil litigation)

Tribunal de grande instance (Court of Large Instance) (the ordinary court for civil litigation and for indictable offences (délits)

Tribunal de commerce (Trade Court)

Conseil des Prud'hommes (Industrial Court)

Tribunal paritaire des baux ruraux (Court for rural tenancy)

Tribunal des Affaires de Sécurité Sociale (Court for Social Security Affairs)

Cour d'Assises (for felonies (crimes))

1 Degrees of jurisdiction
2 Duties
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Degrees of jurisdiction

As a general rule, the French court system is organized with three degrees of jurisdiction:

The first degree hears the case when it is first brought up;
The second degree (appel) hears appeals against the decisions of the first degree;
The third degree (cassation) hears appeals against the interpretation of the law by inferior courts.

[edit] Duties

The Court of First Instance rules on personal or movable litigation concerning sums of money up to 10,000 euros, as well as on of other litigations for which it has exclusive competence:^{[citation needed]}

The leases of private dwellings.
Disputes relating to the elections of personnel delegates.
the distance questions and height of the plantations.
the movable credit to the consumption until 21,500 €.
the seizure of remunerations.
Civil actions for slander and insults.
Guardianships of minors and disabled persons.

registration of voters

For litigation concerning sums above 10,000 euros, unless they enter into the areas of exclusive competence outlined above, the competent court is the tribunal de grande instance (High court).^{[citation needed]}