Home › Explained sheets › Rights and duties
The institutional actors
This sheet presents the actors who help you assert your fundamental rights.
Key points of the sheet
- Police officers and gendarmes are the law enforcement forces. They step in to solve a conflict, calm a disagreement or physically protect a person.
- You can go to the nearest police station or gendarmerie brigade. There you can file a complaint, or a complaint against X if you do not know who is responsible.
- The Defender of Rights is an independent administrative authority. It defends people whose rights are not respected, fights discrimination and settles conflicts between a public service and a user.
- The Defender of Rights receives you in local public places, for example the town hall (mairie), the CAF, France Travail or the prefecture (préfecture).
- The Maisons de justice et du droit (legal access centres) guide and advise people in their legal steps. They offer free sessions with specialised associations.
- When you file a complaint, a procedure is opened. A conciliator or mediator can look for an amicable agreement to avoid a trial.
- A lawyer informs, advises and defends in court. For people with low income, legal costs can be covered.
Words to know
- law enforcement forces (forces de l'ordre)
- They are police officers and gendarmes. They solve conflicts and protect people.
- against X (person unknown) (contre X)
- You file a complaint against X when you do not know who the responsible person is.
- Defender of Rights (Défenseur des droits)
- It is an independent administrative authority that ensures rights are respected.
- Maisons de justice et du droit (legal access centres)
- They guide and advise people in legal steps, with free sessions.
- conciliator (conciliateur)
- He contacts both parties and looks for an amicable agreement to avoid a trial.
- lawyer (avocat)
- He informs, advises and defends in court.
Test yourself: 3 questions
What is the Defender of Rights?
In French, the language of the exam: Qu'est-ce que le Défenseur des droits ?
The sheet says the Defender of Rights is an independent administrative authority.
What do the Maisons de justice et du droit offer?
In French, the language of the exam: Que proposent les maisons de justice et du droit ?
The Maisons de justice et du droit offer free sessions thanks to specialised associations.
What happens when you file a complaint?
In French, the language of the exam: Que se passe-t-il quand vous déposez une plainte ?
The sheet says that when you file a complaint, a procedure is opened.
You have read the sheet. See where you stand with 40 questions like the real exam.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions)Free mock exam · Exam Pass €19 incl. VAT, paid once, no subscription
Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- What is the role of the Défenseur des droits (Defender of Rights)?
- What is the role of the gendarmerie?
- Who watches over the maintenance of public order?
- Which help lets people with little money have a lawyer?
More in this topic (Fundamental rights)
- Rights linked to the human person
- Freedoms within a couple
- Presentation of the main texts (3/3): the Charter for the Environment (Charte de l'environnement)
Source
Sheet “Les acteurs institutionnels” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.