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A person is placed in police custody after being stopped by the police. What can the person do?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Have a relative or the employer informed. A person in custody can have a relative or the employer informed. The person can also ask for a doctor and a lawyer, and has the right to stay silent. The only duty is to say who they are.
Sources: Sheet “Garde à vue” (French), read on 15 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✓ Have a relative or the employer informedFaire prévenir un proche ou son employeurCorrect answer. A person in custody can have a relative or the employer informed. The person can also ask for a doctor and a lawyer, and has the right to stay silent. The only duty is to say who they are.
- ✗ Choose the officer who questions themChoisir le policier qui l'interrogeThe person is at the investigators' disposal, but has rights: a doctor, a lawyer, silence.
- ✗ Refuse to say who they areRefuser de dire qui elle estThe person must say who they are: it is the only duty.
- ✗ Leave the police station whenever they wantQuitter le commissariat quand elle veutDuring custody, the person cannot leave whenever they want.
What the source says
« Le suspect a le droit de faire prévenir son employeur, un proche ou toute personne de son choix de sa garde à vue. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 15 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Une personne est placée en garde à vue après une interpellation. Que peut-elle faire ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Suite à une interpellation par la police, il est possible de :”.
Where the Ministry explains it
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