France

French Law on the Internet - The Basics and Free Resources

Online guide to French legal resources on the Web written by Emmanuel Barthe who is law librarian researcher at French law firm BMH Avocats. The guide was published in 2005 on the Globalex Website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School at the New York University School of Law. The guide focuses on free French Web-based legal resources aimed at business lawyers and also includes what is not available. There is guidance on the use of search engines for finding French legal documents and the availability of legal research guides and directories.

INAVEM: Institut National d'Aide aux Victimes et de Médiation

INAVEM is a federation of about 150 French organisations offering support to victims - whether of crime, violence, abuse, accidents, or other misfortunes - and providing mediation services. The website presents various documents to do with INAVEM's work, including its annual reports, constitution, codes of ethics, statistics and public policy documents on subjects including domestic violence, discrimination, children and human rights. Guidance is available for victims, plus a directory of support organisations and details of telephone help lines. The site is in French throughout.

Le Défenseur des droits

Website of the office of the Défenseur des droits, the Children's Ombudsman for France. The office was created by the French Parliament in March 2000, and its mission is to defend and promote children's rights in France. The site explains the role of the Défenseur. Reports and opinions of the Défenseur are available, together with summaries of relevant French laws and information about the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (with the text of the Convention, in French).

French Property Law

The French Property Law website is produced by the French law department at Russell-Cooke a law firm with offices in London. The site is made freely available in English and provides a guide to buying French property covering contracts, mortgages, searches and fees. There is a selection of FAQs covering inheritance and representation along with related news stories. A collection of in-house articles is made available in full-text in PDF format dealing with other aspects of purchasing property in France. The site also has a page of Web links.

Droits d'urgence

Droits d'urgence is a French lawyers' association providing free legal advice to poor and marginalised people. The site offers basic information on the association's work, including its charter and code of practice for volunteers, and its programme of legal advice / information in Paris and elsewhere. Established in 1995, the association co-operates with a number of local authorities and humanitarian agencies in France. The site is in French.

Centre de Droit Maritime et Océanique

Website of the Centre de Droit Maritime et Océanique (CDMO) at theUniversity of Nantes, France. The information on the site is aimed at students of the Diploma of further studies of Judicial Sciences of the Sea and includes profiles of research staff and students and work (dissertations and essays) being undertaken at the centre. Articles from the Centre's online journal, Revue Juridique Neptunus, are available back to 1994 (in French ); contents pages of the CDMO's yearly publication, Annuaire de Droit Maritime et Océanique, are also given.

Direction Générale des Collectivités Locales

The Direction Générale des Collectivités Locales is the French general directorate of local authorities. It defines the rules for the operation and organisation of local authorities in France, distributes state funds to local authorities, and collects and disseminates local authority financial and statistical data. Its website offers a number of official documents relevant to local administration. The DGCL aims and objectives are available and an organisational chart. The site publishes maps and tables of statistical and financial data.

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