French Code of Criminal Procedure
In forceI.-Any association mentioned in the second paragraph of Article 2-9 or in the first paragraph of Article 2-15 may apply for the authorisation provided for by these provisions if it meets the following conditions:
1° A representative number of adherent members who have been victims of the offence;
2° Sufficient guarantees of effective activity with a view to defending the victims of the offence, in particular through the involvement of a lawyer;
3° The disinterested nature of the activities.
Accreditation is granted by order of the Minister of Justice.
The condition referred to in 2° is met in particular by the association's membership of a federation enabling it to carry out effective activity in defence of victims and approved by order of the Minister of Justice.
II.-The application for approval must be sent to the Ministry of Justice. The file accompanying the application for approval must include a copy of the articles of association and the declaration receipt, as well as proof of the conditions set out in 1° to 3° above.
When the application is complete, a receipt is issued. The approval decision is notified within two months of the date of issue of the receipt.
The notice provided for in article 2-9 or article 2-15 is given by the public prosecutor of the court seised, or by the public prosecutor of the court within whose jurisdiction the association has its registered office.
Any approved association must provide the competent public prosecutor referred to in the previous paragraph with the following documents on an annual basis: an updated list of its members, a copy of the most recent minutes of the general meeting and of the most recent financial year.
Accreditation may be suspended or withdrawn by order of the Minister of Justice if the association no longer meets one of the conditions that justified its accreditation. The association must first be given formal notice to present its observations.
An association that intends to contest a decision to implicitly refuse, suspend or withdraw approval must, prior to any legal action, submit an informal appeal to the Minister of Justice.
III -When filing a civil action, the president of the association must provide the court with a list of the victims of the offence who have joined the association. In the course of the proceedings, the president must inform the court of the identity of any victims who joined the association after the association was set up as a civil party.
> -The president of the association must inform the court of the identity of any victims who joined the association after the association was set up as a civil party.
