Fines, complaints and courts · Administrative court · urgency
Référé-suspension: getting a French administrative decision suspended before the ruling
A référé-suspension asks the urgent-applications judge of a French administrative court (tribunal administratif) to suspend an administrative decision, even a refusal, until the court rules on its annulment. Two conditions apply: urgency, and an argument that creates serious doubt about the decision’s legality (Code of Administrative Justice, article L521-1). The request is filed separately, with a copy of the annulment claim attached.
- Urgency and serious doubt, together
- Annulment claim filed separately
- Urgency field on Télérecours citoyens
- Official texts cited
- Sources checked on
- Drafted with AI assistance, our method
General legal information with official references and dated checks. It is not personalised advice: for a decision that commits you, have your situation checked by a qualified professional.
Julie by AlphaDeep
Do you need a lawyer before a French administrative urgent-applications judge?
A lawyer is not required for a référé-liberté before a French administrative urgent-applications judge. For a référé-suspension, none is required either when the main claim is exempt (article R522-5), which is most cases: before the tribunal administratif a lawyer is compulsory only for claims for payment of money or contract disputes (article R431-2), subject to the exceptions in article R431-3.
Read the referencesA French administrative decision is harming you right now: I can check with you the urgency, the serious doubt and the two requests to file.
3 free questions at signup. Avoid names and sensitive information.
What are the two conditions for a référé-suspension?
The urgent-applications judge (juge des référés) suspends a French administrative decision only when two conditions are met together: the matter is urgent, and you raise an argument capable of creating serious doubt about the decision’s legality (Code of Administrative Justice, article L521-1). One condition on its own is not enough.
Urgency is shown with facts: a shop closed, income lost, a forced departure, building work about to start. Describe what is happening and from which date, with documents. Without urgency the request can be rejected by a reasoned order, with no hearing (article L522-3). Against a building, development or demolition permit, urgency is presumed (Town Planning Code, article L600-3).
Serious doubt comes from a precise argument (moyen): the wrong authority signed, a procedure was skipped, the facts are wrong, a rule was misapplied. The judge does not decide the merits, only whether the argument casts doubt on legality on the file as it stands. According to the Conseil d’État (public report 2026), administrative courts registered 33 037 suspension requests in 2025.
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L522-3Code de l’urbanisme (Town Planning Code): article L600-3Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)
Do you also need to file an annulment claim, and by when?
Yes: a référé-suspension only exists alongside an annulment claim (requête en annulation) against the same decision, and that main claim must be filed within 2 months of the decision’s notification or publication (Code of Administrative Justice, article R421-1).
They are two separate applications. On pain of inadmissibility, the suspension request is filed separately, with a copy of the annulment claim attached (article R522-1). File the main claim first, or both at the same time. If suspension is granted, it ends at the latest when the court rules on the annulment claim (article L521-1).
The 2-month limit only runs if the notification stated it together with the available remedies (voies de recours) (article R421-5). Check the bottom of the decision or its cover letter: that is where these mentions appear.
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R522-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R421-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R421-5Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1
Is your request ready to file?
Answer nine questions about the decision and your situation: the worksheet shows which référé fits, the two applications, the indicative deadline and the documents. It does not say what the judge will decide.
Fictional example · Your filing worksheet
Both conditions of article L521-1 are stated: you can prepare two separate applications, the annulment claim and the suspension request with a copy of it attached (article R522-1). Without a money claim, a lawyer is in principle not compulsory (articles R522-5 and R431-2).
- Conditions of article L521-1 stated
- 2 of 2
- Indicative deadline for the annulment claim
- 2026-12-19
- Lawyer
- In principle not compulsory (articles R522-5 and R431-2)
- Draft the annulment claim (decision challenged, facts, illegalities) and file it by 2026-12-19 at the latest.
- Draft a separate suspension request setting out the facts, the urgency and the serious doubt, with a copy of the annulment claim (article R522-1).
- On Télérecours citoyens, tick the field that flags urgency (article R414-6) and attach each document as a separate file.
- Attach the decision, its notification and proof of urgency: lost turnover, letters, photos, dates of the works.
This worksheet applies articles L521-1 to L521-3, R522-1, R421-1, R421-5, R431-2 and R414-6 of the French Code of Administrative Justice to your answers. It does not assess urgency or serious doubt in the judge’s place.
How do you file the request on Télérecours citoyens?
On Télérecours citoyens, the French courts’ online filing service for people without a lawyer, you file the application yourself and then send every later brief and document through the same service (Code of Administrative Justice, article R414-2). File two applications: the annulment claim, then the suspension request with a copy of the first.
When you file the suspension request, fill in the field that tells the court the judge must rule within a short time (article R414-6). Otherwise it may be handled as an ordinary case. Paper filing remains possible: at the court registry (greffe), or by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, with « Référé » written on the envelope (service-public.fr, sheet F2549).
According to the Conseil d’État (public report 2026), 55 521 applications were filed on Télérecours citoyens in 2025, out of 305 518 applications filed online before the administrative courts.
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R414-2Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R414-6Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)Rapport public 2026: court activity in 2025 (in French)
Suspension, freedom or useful-measures référé: which one fits?
| Référé | When to use it | Conditions | Time for the judge | Remedy against the order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Référé-suspension (L521-1) | Stop a decision, even a refusal, until the court rules on its annulment | Urgency and serious doubt about legality, annulment claim filed separately | As soon as possible, in practice 48 hours to 1 month after the hearing | Appeal on points of law to the Conseil d’État within 15 days |
| Référé-liberté (L521-2) | End an infringement of a fundamental freedom by a public authority | Urgency and a serious, manifestly unlawful infringement of a fundamental freedom | 48 hours | Appeal to the Conseil d’État within 15 days, decided within 48 hours |
| Useful-measures référé (L521-3) | Obtain a practical measure, even with no prior decision | Urgency and usefulness of the measure, without blocking any administrative decision | As soon as possible | Appeal on points of law to the Conseil d’État within 15 days |
| Building-permit suspension (L600-3 Town Planning Code) | Stop a building, development or demolition permit granted to someone else | Urgency presumed, serious doubt to show, main claim filed | 1 month unless the State, the commune or the intercommunal body applies | Appeal on points of law to the Conseil d’État within 15 days |
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-2Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-3Code de l’urbanisme (Town Planning Code): article L600-3Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L523-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R523-1Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)
How many suspension requests do French administrative courts receive?
Administrative court figures published by the Conseil d’État in May 2026.
- Référé-suspension requests registered by administrative courts
- 33 037
- 2025 · Conseil d’État, public report 2026 (rapport public)
- Référé-suspension requests registered the year before
- 23 726
- 2024 · Conseil d’État, public report 2026 (rapport public)
- Référé-liberté requests registered by administrative courts
- 11 449
- 2025 · Conseil d’État, public report 2026 (rapport public)
- Applications filed on Télérecours citoyens (out of 305 518 filed online)
- 55 521
- 2025 · Conseil d’État, public report 2026 (rapport public)
- Appeals to the Conseil d’État against référé-suspension orders
- 830
- 2025 · Conseil d’État, public report 2026 (rapport public)
How quickly does the urgent-applications judge rule?
No fixed time limit applies to a référé-suspension: the judge rules « as soon as possible » (dans les meilleurs délais) (Code of Administrative Justice, article L511-1). In practice the ruling comes between 48 hours and 1 month after the hearing, sometimes later in a complex case (service-public.fr, sheet F2549).
The judge informs the parties without delay of the date and time of the public hearing (article L522-1). Be ready to explain the urgency orally, using the documents already filed. Two procedures have a written time limit: the référé-liberté, decided within 48 hours (article L521-2), and the suspension of a building or development permit requested by an individual, a business or an association, decided within 1 month (Town Planning Code, article L600-3).
If suspension is granted, the decision is no longer carried out until, at the latest, the ruling on the annulment claim (article L521-1). The court must then decide that claim as soon as possible.
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L511-1Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L522-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-2Code de l’urbanisme (Town Planning Code): article L600-3Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1
What can you do if the suspension request is rejected?
If suspension is refused, there is no appeal against the order: the only remedy is an appeal on points of law (pourvoi en cassation) to the Conseil d’État within 15 days of notification (Code of Administrative Justice, articles L523-1 and R523-1), through a lawyer admitted to the Conseil d’État.
If the judge rejected the request for lack of serious doubt, you must confirm your annulment claim within 1 month of notification of the rejection. Without that confirmation you are deemed to have withdrawn the main claim, unless you lodge an appeal on points of law (article R612-5-2). The notification of the rejection order reminds you of this 1-month limit: note the date you received it.
According to the Conseil d’État (public report 2026), 830 appeals against référé-suspension orders were registered in 2025.
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L523-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R523-1Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R612-5-2Rapport public 2026: court activity in 2025 (in French)
What does article L521-1 of the French Code of Administrative Justice say?
Quand une décision administrative, même de rejet, fait l'objet d'une requête en annulation ou en réformation, le juge des référés, saisi d'une demande en ce sens, peut ordonner la suspension de l'exécution de cette décision, ou de certains de ses effets, lorsque l'urgence le justifie et qu'il est fait état d'un moyen propre à créer, en l'état de l'instruction, un doute sérieux quant à la légalité de la décision.
Lorsque la suspension est prononcée, il est statué sur la requête en annulation ou en réformation de la décision dans les meilleurs délais. La suspension prend fin au plus tard lorsqu'il est statué sur la requête en annulation ou en réformation de la décision.
In plain English: The urgent-applications judge can suspend an administrative decision, even a refusal, if you challenge it in a main claim, the matter is urgent and an argument casts serious doubt on its legality. Suspension lasts at most until the ruling on annulment, which must come quickly.
The suspension request is filed as a separate application, with a copy of the annulment claim (article R522-1).
What else should you know before going to the French administrative urgent-applications judge?
Do you need a lawyer before a French administrative urgent-applications judge?
A lawyer is not required for a référé-liberté before a French administrative urgent-applications judge. For a référé-suspension, none is required either when the main claim is exempt (article R522-5), which is most cases: before the tribunal administratif a lawyer is compulsory only for claims for payment of money or contract disputes (article R431-2), subject to the exceptions in article R431-3.
Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R522-5Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R431-2Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R431-3
Does a référé-suspension cost anything?
A référé-suspension is in principle free: no fee is charged to apply to a French administrative court (service-public.fr, sheet F2549). The real cost is a lawyer’s fees if you hire one, which legal aid (aide juridictionnelle) can cover. You can also ask the court to order the administration to pay your costs.
Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)
Can you get a neighbour’s building permit suspended in France?
Yes, a neighbour can ask for a building permit granted to someone else to be suspended in France, provided an annulment claim has been filed. Urgency is presumed and, when an individual or an association applies, the judge rules within 1 month (Town Planning Code, article L600-3). Serious doubt about the permit’s legality is still needed, and the request must come before the deadline for raising new arguments in the main claim.
If a refusal is suspended, must the administration say yes?
No, suspending a refusal does not force the French administration to say yes. It provisionally lifts the effects of the refusal: at the same time you can ask the judge to order the administration to re-examine your application or, depending on the case, to grant the authorisation provisionally (service-public.fr, sheet F2549; article L521-1).
Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1
What if the decision has already been carried out in full?
A French administrative decision already carried out in full can no longer be suspended: the référé-suspension is rejected for lack of urgency (service-public.fr, sheet F2549), because article L521-1 covers the execution of the decision or those effects still to come. The annulment claim remains open within 2 months, and a useful-measures référé can meet a practical need (article L521-3).
Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R421-1Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-3
Which French texts govern the référé-suspension?
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L522-3French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de l’urbanisme (Town Planning Code): article L600-3French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Litige avec l’administration : référé-suspension (sheet F2549, in French)French Republic / DILA: service-public.fr
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R522-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R421-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R421-5French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R414-2French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R414-6French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Rapport public 2026: court activity in 2025 (in French)Conseil d’État
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-2French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L521-3French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L523-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R523-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L511-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article L522-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R612-5-2French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R522-5French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R431-2French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de justice administrative (Code of Administrative Justice): article R431-3French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
Texts cited last checked: 30 October 2026