Section 5: The automated national registry of judicial procedures and the automated processing system known as "Cassiopée".

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Article R15-33-66-8

French Code of Criminal ProcedureIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

I. - The following may have direct access to personal information and data recorded in the processing in the context of criminal proceedings:

1° Magistrates from the Public Prosecutor's Office and magistrates from the Court of First Instance who carry out criminal duties:

a) In all judicial courts and courts of appeal, for the sole purpose of processing offences or proceedings brought before them;

b) In the courts referred to in Articles 704,705,705-1,706-2,706-17,706-75,706-107 and 706-108, for the handling of all proceedings likely to fall within their extended territorial jurisdiction;

c) With regard to public prosecutors, for the application of Articles 35 and 37 ;

2° Registry officers and persons empowered under Article R. 123-14 of the Code of Judicial Organisation, as well as, for the sole purpose of carrying out the tasks entrusted to them, the legal assistants mentioned in Article L. 123-4 of the same code, who assist the magistrates referred to in 1°;

3° Registry officers assigned to a single reception service for litigants, individually designated and specially authorised by written decision of the director of the registry, under the supervision of the heads of court, for the sole purpose of carrying out their duties as defined in articles L. 123-3 et R. 123-28 of the same code;

4° The national representative to Eurojust, and the magistrates, registrars and staff authorised to assist him;

5° The public prosecutor's delegates instituted in Article R. 15-33-30 of this code, to carry out the tasks entrusted to them by the judicial authority under Articles 41-1 à 41-2 ;

6° Educators from the judicial protection of young people assigned to educational units attached to the courts, educational services attached to the courts or open educational units providing educational duties attached to the courts for information and data concerning minors monitored by their duty unit, for the exclusive needs related to the performance of their duties ;

7° Magistrates and court clerks assigned to the Agency for the Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets, pursuant to the provisions of article 706-161, for the purposes of proceedings for which seizures or confiscations are envisaged or have been carried out;

8° The specialist assistants referred to in Articles 628-9 and 706 of this code, for the sole purpose of carrying out the tasks entrusted to them.

The 2° is applicable to the directors of the registry services and clerks of the judicial reserves, for the sole performance of the missions entrusted to them, and for the duration of each mission, under the conditions set by Article 164 of Finance Act no. 2010-1657 of 29 December 2010 and Decree no. 2011-946 of 10 August 2011 relating to judicial reserves.

II. - The following may have direct access to the information and personal data recorded in the processing in the context of proceedings other than criminal proceedings:

1° The persons mentioned in 1° and 2° of I, solely for the files, including of a criminal nature, referred to them;

2° The persons mentioned in 3° of I, solely for the requirements linked to the exercise of their powers.

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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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