The Court of Cassation (la Cour de cassation) and the State Council (le Conseil d’État)
Another distinguishing feature of the French justice system is the fact that the judicial system is split into two separate parts: l'ordre judiciaire (judicial order) and l'ordre administratif (administrative order). What this means in practice is that certain litigations are manage by different types of courts with independent jurisdictions. Litigation between individuals and in crimincal cases are dealt with by the judicial order while litigation between individuals and the state (e.g. government agencies) are dealt with by the administrative order. The highest court of the judicial and administrative branches are respectively la Cour de cassation (Court of Cassation) and the Conseil d'État (State Council). They have equal power to the US Supreme Court within their respective jurisdictions.
Conclusion
We've only just barely scratched the surface of the political structure in France. While many of the institutions in France resemble those in the US, others are quite unique. Many of these institutions are housed in a number of historic buildings in the heart of Paris. I encourage you to visit some next time you visit!
Curious to learn more about the French government? Check out my other article on the Brittany Parliament in Rennes!
