On 8 July 2025, Decree No. 2025-619 on various measures to simplify civil procedure, known as “Magicobus II”, was published and followed by a summary notice on 16 July 2025. Most of its provisions came into force on 1 September 2025 and are applicable to ongoing proceedings on that date (with a few exceptions). Here are the main changes.
First, the decree promotes the dematerialization of the storage and communication of documents and decisions. For example, the court clerk’s office can now notify the parties of a decision requesting the opinion of the French Supreme Court by any means.
Second, the decree clarifies the jurisdiction of the courts. For example, the courts of the place where the real estate is located have exclusive jurisdiction over requests for in futurum investigative measures provided for in Article 145 of the Code of Civil Procedure relating to real estate. As another example, the decree codified a rule already in force giving the Paris Court of Appeal exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals for setting aside international arbitration awards.
Third, the decree allows the judge, in oral proceedings, to set the conditions for the communication of claims, arguments and documents without the agreement of the parties, provided that they are assisted or represented by a lawyer.
Fourth, the decree gives the first president of the Court of Appeal the option of referring cases falling within his or her own jurisdiction to a panel of judges.
Other procedural simplifications have been introduced with regard to applications for review by summons (recours en révision), challenges to the appointment of local representatives, challenges relating to the consultation of employees on company agreements, and finally the procedure for changing names, etc.
