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The President of the Republic is accused of a crime. What does the Constitution say during his or her term?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: He or she cannot be prosecuted before a French court during the term. During the term, the President cannot be the target of proceedings before French courts. Proceedings can resume one month after the end of the term.
Sources: Sheet “Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, articles 67 et 68 (texte en vigueur)” (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
- ✓ He or she cannot be prosecuted before a French court during the termIl ne peut pas être poursuivi devant un tribunal français pendant son mandatCorrect answer. During the term, the President cannot be the target of proceedings before French courts. Proceedings can resume one month after the end of the term. If the President seriously fails in his or her duties, Parliament sitting as the Haute Cour can remove him or her.
- ✗ He or she is tried straight away, like any citizenIl est jugé tout de suite, comme tout autre citoyen de FranceDuring the term, the Constitution stops any prosecution before a court.
- ✗ He or she is arrested by the police the next dayIl est arrêté par la police dès le lendemain de l'accusationDuring the term, no action or prosecution can be brought against the President before a French court or administrative authority.
- ✗ He or she loses the post automatically, without any vote of ParliamentIl perd son poste automatiquement, sans vote du ParlementOnly Parliament sitting as the Haute Cour can remove the President, and only for a serious failure of duty.
What the source says
« Il ne peut, durant son mandat et devant aucune juridiction ou autorité administrative française, être requis de témoigner non plus que faire l'objet d'une action, d'un acte d'information, d'instruction ou de poursuite. »
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: « Le président de la République est accusé d'un crime. Que dit la Constitution pendant son mandat ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question is on the official list for the resident card (CR). The Ministry's wording: “Le président de la République a commis un crime. Quelle proposition est correcte ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Constitution du 4 octobre 1958, articles 67 et 68 (texte en vigueur)” (French).
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