This book provides a readable and well-balanced overview of the French legal system for students,academics and practitioners alike. It covers the procedural side as well as the substantive aspects of French law. The contents include the new French Criminal Code; the recent changes made in the organisation of the courts and to the legal professions; a comprehensive overview of the various forms of French business organisation; and the nature of the French constitution against the background of widespread public pressure for the reform of some of its institutions. As well as explaining all the legal concepts and rules encountered in terms which can be understood by those who have studied English law, the book also includes a glossary of legal terms which will benefit the legal translator.