Protecting yourself and others
In a case of violence, a victim may file a complaint and ask an association or specialist service for help.
In a serious accident, you should call emergency services and help only if it does not put you in danger.
Rights and duties
Study fundamental rights, civic duties, justice, safety, and environmental responsibilities.
Prohibited discrimination
Refusing a job, housing, or access to a place because of origin, disability, sex, or nationality may be illegal discrimination.
Women and men have the same rights, including at work and in family life.
Work, law, penalties
- An employer must respect the SMIC.
- The legal working week is 35 hours.
- Undeclared work is forbidden.
- Throwing waste in public space can be punished.
- French laws apply to anyone in France.
Offenses and key markers
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen dates from 1789.
Polygamy is forbidden. Divorce is possible. The death penalty has been abolished in France since 1981.
From least serious to most serious: contravention, misdemeanor, crime.
Human trafficking is the exploitation of a person through coercion, threats, or deception.
Rights of the defence and a fair trial are essential principles of justice.
Key texts and fundamental rights
Fundamental rights are protected by several important texts: the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789, the Constitution, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the Environmental Charter.
They protect human dignity, freedom, equality, security, justice, and some social rights such as access to health care, education, and work.
Violence and protection
The law prohibits physical, psychological, sexual, and economic violence. This includes violence within couples, against children, or female genital mutilation.
A victim may be protected, supported, and directed to the police, the justice system, health professionals, or associations.
Everyday duties
- Respect the law.
- Do not harm others.
- Respect the environment and shared spaces.
- Reject discrimination and violence.
- Respect obligations linked to school, declared work, and life in society.
Expected answers in practical cases
- When the question is about discrimination, the correct idea is usually: it is prohibited and the victim may act / report / file a complaint.
- In a serious accident, call emergency services.
- Work below the SMIC or undeclared work is not legal.
- French laws apply to everyone in France, not only French citizens.
Self-check before the exam
- Can you recognize illegal discrimination ?
- Do you know what a victim can do in cases of violence or harassment ?
- Do you know what the SMIC, declared work, and undeclared work are ?
- Do you know the markers 1789, 1981, and the difference between a contravention, a misdemeanor, and a crime ?
Sample questions
- 1. May an employer pay a worker below the SMIC?Answer to remember : No, the legal minimum wage must be respected.
- 2. Someone throws a cigarette pack out of a car window. Is that allowed?Answer to remember : No, it is forbidden and can be punished.
- 3. What is human trafficking?Answer to remember : The exploitation of a person through coercion, threats, or deception.
- 4. May a victim of violence file a complaint and ask an association for help?Answer to remember : Yes, that is the right reflex.
- 5. A cinema refuses entry to a person because of disability. What does the law say?Answer to remember : It is illegal discrimination.
- 6. An employer refuses a candidate because of origin. What does the law say?Answer to remember : It is prohibited discrimination.
PDF study guide
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Human rights, duties of citizens, justice system, environmental responsibilities.