Civil evidence · for English speakers in France · France · verified 7 September 2026
Writing a witness statement in France: what belongs in cerfa 11527?
A French civil witness statement records facts its author personally observed. Article 202 requires identity and relationship details, the court purpose, awareness of criminal penalties, handwriting, date, signature and an official identity document bearing a signature. Cerfa 11527 helps gather those elements but does not prove the account is true. This page checks the required parts and provides a French draft for the witness to adapt personally.
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What belongs in each part of the form?
Follow article 202 and the current official form, then let the witness review every fact.
| Part | What to include | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Full details under article 202 | Initials only |
| Relationship | Actual links with each party | Concealing a family tie |
| Facts | Direct observations | Invented dates or hearsay |
| Purpose | Court use and penalty awareness | Generic “on my honour” only |
| Final text | Handwritten, dated and signed | A third party signing |
| Attachment | Official identity with signature | Illegible or incomplete copy |
Is my statement ready for a final review?
Tick only elements actually present. Do not paste personal information here.
Six-part review
Keep the draft and identity attachment beside you.
Answer the questions on the left: the result is a category to verify, never a guaranteed amount or deadline.
- FACTS TO REWORK · Separate direct observations from second-hand accounts.
- READY FOR FINAL REVIEW · Review the complete statement before using it.
- COMPLETE MISSING PARTS · Add the missing formal elements.
What can I use as a draft?
The witness must control the account and finalise it personally.
The body stays in French for court use, with English bracket hints. The witness writes, dates and signs the final statement by hand.
ATTESTATION Je soussigné(e), [nom, prénoms / full name], né(e) le [birth date] à [birth place], demeurant [address], exerçant la profession de [occupation], atteste ce qui suit. Mes liens avec les parties sont : [family, work or other relationship, or none]. J’ai personnellement constaté les faits suivants : Le [date] à [place], [observations personnelles / direct observations only]. La présente attestation est établie en vue de sa production en justice. Je sais qu’une fausse attestation de ma part m’expose à des sanctions pénales. Fait à [place], le [date]. [Signature du témoin / witness signature] Pièce jointe : [official identity document bearing signature].
Who can provide a witness statement?
Someone who attended or personally observed the facts, subject to capacity rules and applicable exclusions. CPC articles 200 and 202 govern this evidence. A relationship with a party must be disclosed; it does not automatically make the evidence worthless.
Must I use cerfa 11527?
No. The official form helps gather the required elements; a free-form statement must also satisfy article 202. Use the version available on Service Public. The form does not replace a precise factual account or the required identity-document copy.
Does it need to be handwritten?
Article 202 requires the statement to be written, dated and signed in its author’s own hand. Prepare a draft, then have the witness write the final version personally. A typed text should not simply be described as fully compliant.
Which personal details are required?
Surname, given names, birth date and place, residence, occupation and any relevant relationship with the parties. Article 202 includes family, marriage, subordination, collaboration and shared-interest links. Do not conceal them to make the account appear neutral.
What facts should I describe?
Only what you personally saw or heard, with dates and places where known. Do not turn rumours into observed facts. Article 202 requires personal observations. Hearing someone say something is different from witnessing the underlying event they described.
Which identification should accompany it?
An official document establishing identity and bearing the witness’s signature, in original or copy under article 202. Include the necessary sides to show identity and signature. An illegible image or a card without a signature does not satisfy that stated requirement.
What is the penalty for false facts?
Article 441-7 provides, among other things, one year’s imprisonment and a 15,000 € fine for certifying materially inaccurate facts, with aggravations in some cases. It also addresses falsification and use. A draft prepared by another person or Julie does not remove the signer’s responsibility for truthfulness.
Can children testify about a divorce?
Descendants cannot testify about the spouses’ alleged matrimonial grievances in support of divorce or legal separation. Civil Code article 259 creates this exclusion. Do not assume all relatives can give the same evidence; have the precise subject of the statement checked.
How should the statement enter the court file?
Keep the original, identify it as an exhibit and arrange disclosure under the rules of the relevant procedure. Article 203 allows the judge to hear the author. A statement guarantees neither an oral hearing nor that the judge will accept the account.
Review a draft after removing unnecessary details
What this page is built on
What should you check before continuing?
Sources. Read the linked articles alongside your complete document.
Confidentiality. The page tool needs categories only. Remove names and sensitive details from your first question.
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