Local Law in Alsace-Moselle - Principles

Principles

The local law (fr: droit local) in Alsace-Moselle is a legal system which operates in parallel with French law and preserves those statutes made by the German authorities, in these formerly annexed and reverted territories, which are considered still to be of benefit. Created in 1919, it preserves those French laws that were in force before 1870 and were maintained by the German government but were repealed after 1871 in France. It also maintains German laws enacted by the German Empire between 1871 and 1918, specific provisions adopted by the local authorities and French laws that have been enacted after 1919 to be applicable only in the three concerned départements.

In 1919, a Commissaire de la République, whose duty was to restart the French administration in Alsace-Moselle following German defeat in World War I, had to choose between local law and general law. These provisions were supposed to be temporary. However, two further enactments of 1 June 1924 made them permanent. These laws were extended six times between 1934 and 1951 and in 1951, the legislator avoided mentioning a time limit. Even at the beginning of the 21st century, for some laws in force in Alsace-Moselle, the German language text is considered the binding one, the translated French text serving only as a non-binding commentary.