Fines, complaints and courts · French law
SARVI or CIVI in France: compare victim compensation
SARVI and CIVI serve different purposes in France. SARVI concerns recovery of compensation awarded by a final decision and left unpaid, within its statutory conditions. CIVI assesses a compensation route according to the harm, offence and applicable requirements; a prior compensation judgment is not always necessary. The amount alone, or one universal deadline, cannot choose between the schemes or establish an award.
Informational guide. An independent qualified legal review has not been completed.
What you leave withA route comparison and a case-specific evidence inventory.
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Is a victim without a judgment automatically outside CIVI?
No. CIVI does not use SARVI’s same final-judgment prerequisite. Examine harm, offence and commission-specific conditions.
Read the referencesComparing SARVI and CIVI? We can organise the decision, harm and relevant events without deciding compensation.
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How do SARVI and CIVI differ?
SARVI assists recovery of compensation fixed by a final decision within its scope. CIVI examines compensation for specified offence-related harm under different conditions.
Non-payment does not make the routes interchangeable. Identify harm, any decision and other compensation possibilities.
| Question | SARVI | CIVI |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Recovery aid for a judicial award | Compensation under the scheme |
| Prior judgment | Final decision required in this framework | Not the same general prerequisite |
| Conditions | Civil party, non-payment and other criteria | Harm, offence and separate conditions |
| Timing | Finality, non-payment and application period | Offence, proceedings and relevant decisions |
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-1
Does the relevant route already require a final judgment?
The SARVI branch requires a final compensation decision for the individual civil party and the service’s conditions. Evidence of finality is central. The route concerns someone unable to receive compensation under Articles 706-3 or 706-14; examine that condition before applying.
CIVI does not always require an earlier compensation judgment. Examine its scope rather than excluding a victim solely because no court has fixed an amount.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-1
Which harms and separate compensation regimes must be distinguished?
CIVI distinguishes serious harm and listed offences from Article 706-14 property-loss or lesser-injury branches. Conditions differ.
Examine territory, nationality, special schemes and other compensation too. Road accidents, terrorism and other exclusions should not be treated as the general framework.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-14
Which events start the different periods?
CIVI’s ordinary reference is three years from the offence, with a one-year mechanism after the relevant final criminal decision where proceedings occur. Minority and relief from forfeiture need specific reading.
SARVI includes two months without voluntary payment after finality and an ordinary one-year application period. Judgment, finality and notification dates are different.
| Route or stage | Event to document | Reference to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary CIVI | Offence | Three years, subject to statutory rules |
| CIVI with proceedings | Relevant final criminal decision | One year under the mechanism |
| Ordinary SARVI | Final compensation decision | Two-month non-payment and ordinary filing within a year |
| Relevant CIVI inadmissibility | Notice of that decision | Specific SARVI start to examine |
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2
What does CIVI inadmissibility change in the SARVI filing window?
The relevant CIVI inadmissibility decision can start SARVI’s one-year period on notification. It does not require waiting a year to act.
Keep the decision and notice. Distinguish this start from the ordinary final-decision reference and read the mechanism’s conditions.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2
Why can harm and resource conditions not be reduced to one amount?
A resource ceiling does not apply uniformly to every injury. Article 706-14’s branch includes means, insufficient other compensation and serious material or psychological consequences within its scope.
No unverified annual ceiling or compensation amount is computed from income alone. Establish harm and regime first.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-14
Which records belong beside the judgment or offence evidence?
The file should explain harm, victim capacity and decision status. Records differ by route and are more than a financial estimate.
- Offence and harm evidence through the appropriate channel.
- Judgment and finality evidence where required.
- Payments received or documented non-payment.
- Any CIVI decisions and notifications with dates.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-1
Does two-month non-payment of a judgment alone establish SARVI access?
The fictional final award unpaid for over two months documents one prerequisite, not all SARVI conditions. Civil-party status and compensation scope remain to check.
The file does not conclude acceptance. Preserve dates and payments already received rather than equating non-payment with certain entitlement.
Fictional case: a final compensation judgment has remained unpaid for over two months. The file identifies finality, non-payment and other conditions needing review. It establishes neither SARVI acceptance nor a guaranteed payment.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-1 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2
How do an initial payment and later recovery differ?
The official guide describes an initial full SARVI payment up to €1,000; above that, a thirty-percent advance with a €1,000 minimum and €3,000 maximum, subject to service conditions.
The balance depends on recovery. These mechanics establish neither acceptance, CIVI compensation nor payment of every awarded amount.
References : Service Public · SARVI
French criminal law AI: information, evidence and urgent handoff
Which questions should be prepared before applying?
Prepare questions about route, records and timing events. The service or professional should be able to read the chronology without choosing a procedure solely from the amount.
Julie can organise records without deciding compensation eligibility or recovery outcome.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-14 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-1 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2 · Service Public · SARVI
French criminal law AI: information, evidence and urgent handoff
What else should you check?
Is a victim without a judgment automatically outside CIVI?
No. CIVI does not use SARVI’s same final-judgment prerequisite. Examine harm, offence and commission-specific conditions.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3
After CIVI inadmissibility must the victim wait a year before SARVI?
No. Under the relevant mechanism, one year is a SARVI filing period from notice of inadmissibility, not a mandatory waiting year.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2
Do the three-year and one-year periods start from the same event?
No. Offence, final criminal decision, final compensation decision and inadmissibility notification are different events.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2
Do all harms share the same resource limits?
No. Serious-harm/listed-offence branches and Article 706-14 do not share one test. Do not apply a resource ceiling to every injury.
References : Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3 · Code de procédure pénale · article 706-14
Does a SARVI initial payment guarantee recovery of the balance?
No. Initial payment and later recovery are separate. An advance does not guarantee balance collection.
References : Service Public · SARVI
Which sources support this page?
Official texts remain in French. The explanations above describe French law. A source check records a reading date; it is not qualified legal review.
- Code de procédure pénale · article 706-3Source checked : · Version from 2023-11-22 · Recorded end 2029-01-01
- Code de procédure pénale · article 706-5Source checked : · Version from 2023-11-22 · Recorded end 2029-01-01
- Code de procédure pénale · article 706-14Source checked : · Version from 2023-11-22 · Recorded end 2029-01-01
- Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-1Source checked : · Version from 2020-03-24 · Recorded end 2029-01-01
- Code de procédure pénale · article 706-15-2Source checked : · Version from 2020-01-01 · Recorded end 2029-01-01
- Service Public · SARVISource checked :
- Service Public · CIVISource checked :