The Palace of Justice in Paris – Pic of the Week

This is a guest post by Nicolas Boring, French foreign law specialist at the Law Library of Congress. Nicolas has previously blogged FALQs: Freedom of Speech in France and co-collaborated on the post, Does the Haitian Criminal Code Outlaw Making Zombies.

I took a few days of vacation to visit relatives in France back in December, and I took this opportunity to snap a few pictures of some noteworthy Parisian judicial buildings. In this post, I will share pictures of the famous Palais de Justice (Palace of Justice), one of France’s most important judicial buildings as well as one of the most important historical sites in Paris.

The Palais de Justice is located on the Île de la Cité, in the very heart of Paris. Originally called the Palais de la Cité (Palace of the City), it appears to have originally been built in the 10th century on the site of a former Roman palace. It served as the main residence of many French kings until Charles V moved the royal court to the Louvres Palace in the 14th century. After that, part of it was turned into a prison, while another part served as the seat of the French Parliament under the monarchy, and then as the seat of revolutionary tribunals during the French Revolution. The Palais underwent significant restructuring and renovation during the 19th century to become the main courthouse of Paris.

The place is huge, and though all the parts are physically connected, I think it can best be described as a compound rather than as a single building. In addition to the courts and related facilities, it encompasses two well-known tourist attractions: the beautiful Sainte-Chapelle, and the notorious Conciergerie,where Marie-Antoinette (among many others) spent her last days before being guillotined during the French Revolution.

Nowadays, the former palace houses the Tribunal de Grande Instance (the main type of trial court in the French judicial system) of Paris, the Paris Court of Appeals, and the Cour de cassation. The Cour de cassation is France’s highest court in civil and criminal matters – roughly comparable to the U.S. Supreme Court, except that it does not have jurisdiction over administrative law matters (which fall under the jurisdiction of the Conseil d’Etat), and it does not have the authority to invalidate a law as being unconstitutional (only the Conseil constitutionnel can do that).

This picture shows the main entrance to the Palais de Justice. Note the roof and steeple of the Sainte-Chapelle on the left / Photograph by Nicolas Boring

This clock, located on the North-Eastern corner of the Palais de Justice, originally dates from the XIVth century and was the first public clock in Paris. The tower that rises above it is aptly called the Tour de l'Horloge (Clock Tower). Note the statues on either side, representing Law and Justice / Photography by Nicolas Boring — This clock, located on the northeastern corner of the Palais de Justice, originally dates from the 14th century and was the first public clock in Paris. The tower that rises above it is aptly called the Tour de l’Horloge (Clock Tower). Note the statues on either side, representing Law and Justice / Photograph by Nicolas Boring

A view of the Northern side of the Palais de Justice, facing the River Seine. This side is often referred to as the Conciergerie. The door with the two flags on the far right of the picture is the entrance to the Cour de cassation / Photograph by Nicolas Boring — A view of the northern side of the Palais de Justice, facing the River Seine. This side is often referred to as the Conciergerie. The door with the two flags on the far right of the picture is the entrance to the Cour de cassation / Photograph by Nicolas Boring

A better view of the entrance to the Cour de cassation / Photograph by Nicolas Boring

One of several statues of famous French jurists that adorn the halls of the Palais de Justice. This one is a depiction of Pierre-Antoine Berryer, a nineteenth century lawyer and politician / Photograph by Nicolas Boring — One of several statues of famous French jurists that adorn the halls of the Palais de Justice. This one is a depiction of Pierre-Antoine Berryer, a 19th century lawyer and politician / Photograph by Nicolas Boring

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