Section 1: Jurisdiction

Articles in this section · 8

Article 706-17-1

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

Without prejudice to the provisions of the third paragraph of Article 41, when exercising his jurisdiction pursuant to this section, the Counter-Terrorism Public Prosecutor may, by judicial delegation, request any public prosecutor to carry out or have carried out the acts necessary for the investigation and prosecution of offences falling within the scope of Article 706-16 in the places where the latter has territorial jurisdiction.


The judicial delegation shall mention the investigative acts entrusted to the public prosecutor thus requested. The judicial delegation specifies the investigative acts entrusted to the public prosecutor thus requested. It may only prescribe acts that are directly related to the investigation for which it has been issued.


It states the nature of the offence and the reasons for the request. It indicates the nature of the offence under investigation. It is dated, signed and sealed by the Anti-Terrorism Public Prosecutor. The Anti-Terrorism Public Prosecutor sets the time limit within which the delegation must be returned to him, accompanied by the minutes recording its execution. In the absence of a deadline set in the delegation, the judicial delegation and the reports must be sent to him within eight days of the end of the operations carried out pursuant to this delegation.


The magistrates appointed to carry out the delegation exercise their powers in accordance with the law. The magistrates appointed for its execution shall exercise, within the limits of the judicial delegation, all the powers of the anti-terrorist public prosecutor provided for in this section.

Mariela Petrova

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Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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