Call
Review proceedings: when and how to challenge a final judgment
By Raphaël MORENON1 April 2025Res judicata is a fundamental pillar of our legal system. But what can be done when a final judgment is based on fraud or a major error? French justice provides an exceptional solution: an application for judicial review. Our firm regularly finds that many litigants are unaware of this legal remedy, and feel that they have been definitively defeated. This article describes the cases in which a judgment can be called into question despite being final. What is an application for judicial review? An application for judicial review is an extraordinary means of challenging a judgment that can no longer be challenged through the ordinary channels (appeal, opposition). Article 593 of the Code of Civil Procedure defines it precisely: it "seeks to set aside a judgment that has become res judicata so that a new decision can be made on the facts and on the law". The aim of this procedure is to correct errors...
EN 
FR