Dispute with the administration: refer the case to the Defender of Rights
Verified 29 April 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Do you have a dispute with an administration or a public service? If you are unable to find an amicable solution, you can contact the Defender of Rights. The Defender of Rights can help you in some cases to settle the dispute. We present you the information to know.
The Defender of Rights is tasked with defending your rights and freedoms, as part of your relationship with a public service or a body entrusted with a public service mission.
The Defender of Rights can intervene if you have a dispute with:
- A State administration (prefecture, tax center, ministry...)
- A local authority (town hall, county council, regional council...)
- A hospital facility
- A body responsible for the management of a public service (family allowance fund - Caf, CPAM: titleContentFrance, Labor, energy suppliers such as EDF, GDF…).
ABefore entering the Defender of Rights, you must first try to resolve the dispute amicably with the public service or body concerned. For example, you can make a complaint to the service or introduce a administrative appeal against the contested decision.
Warning
The Defender of Rights cannot intervene in conflicts between the administration and its agents. However, it may intervene where the conflict concerns a discrimination.
Nor can it intervene when it comes to a commercial contract. If your dispute concerns the performance of a contract with a public company (price, quantity, invoicing, termination, etc.), then it is a private dispute of a commercial nature and you must contact the Ombudsman concerned.
You can check whether the Defender of Rights is competent to examine your application using this online service :
Know if the Defender of Rights is competent for your problem
The Defender of Rights can be entered by :
- All natural person who considers that his rights and freedoms have been infringed by the operation of a State administration, a local authority, a public establishment or a body entrusted with a public service mission
- Its “beneficiaries” (spouses, children, parents...)
- An association or company
- A French Member of Parliament or a French Member of the European Parliament
- A foreign institution that has the same functions as the Defender of Rights.
The Defender of Rights may also take action ex officio if he considers that his intervention is necessary.
Reminder
ABefore entering the Defender of Rights, you must first try to resolve the dispute amicably with the public service or body concerned. For example, you can make a complaint to the service or introduce a administrative appeal against the contested decision.
You can enter the Defender of Rights (or his delegates) online, on-site or by post :
You can do the step in line, on-site or by post :
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Online
You can enter the Defender of Rights using this online service :
On site
You can make an appointment with a representative of the Defender of Rights.
Who shall I contact
FYI
The Defender of Rights' delegates allow you to access local support on your rights and if necessary, direct you to a structure that can better help you. You can find them in places of permanence (prefectures, sub-prefectures, houses of justice and law...).
By post
You can enter the Defender of Rights or one of his delegates by mail.
Who shall I contact
By post (from France, free and without postage)
Defender of Rights
Free answer 71120
75342 Paris cedex 07
Warning: attach to your mail photocopies of the documents relating to your referral.
By email
Access to contact form
Warning
Seizing the Defender of Rights does not interrupt or suspend the time limits for bringing an action to bring an action. legal action.
The services of the Defender of Rights are free of charge.
The Defender of Rights first verifies that your application falls within its jurisdiction.
If not, they will tell you why they cannot process your file and refer you to the people or organizations that can help you.
If the Defender of Rights considers that your request falls within his jurisdiction, he will open an investigation to gather information allowing him to know the situation, before making a decision.
Broad investigative powers
Request for explanations
The investigation procedure takes place by comparing the views of the claimant (the person making a claim to the Defender of Rights) and the person complained against (the person against whom the claim is made). This is the adversarial principle.
The Defender of Rights may request explanations from any natural person or moral challenged before him.
The persons involved must facilitate the accomplishment of its mission.
They are required to authorize their agents and attendants to respond to the requests of the Defender of Rights. Staff members must respond to requests for explanations from the latter.
Summons to a hearing
The Defender of Rights may summon the agents.
Summonses must state the purpose of the hearing.
FYI
Persons to whom the Defender of Rights requests explanations may be assisted by counsel of their choice (e.g. by a lawyer). A record of the hearing shall be drawn up and given to the person being heard.
On-site verifications
The Defender of Rights may also carry out checks on site in the premises public services or bodies entrusted with a public service mission, as well as in places, premises, means of publicly accessible transport and in the business premises exclusively dedicated to this use.
During on-the-spot checks, the Defender of Rights may hear any person who can provide information to him.
A report is drawn up by the lawyers of the Defender of Rights.
Formal notice in case of refusal to cooperate
If the Defender of Rights does not obtain no response at his request for information, he may put in default interested persons to reply within a period to be fixed by the Council.
Where the formal notice is not acted upon, it may refer the matter to the judge hearing the application for interim measures to request it to order any measure necessary to obtain the information requested.
Amicable settlement of claims
The settlement is privileged when complaints indicate, for example, a procedural error, a misunderstanding, a failure of an administration. In this case, the Defender of Rights intervenes by facilitating dialog between all persons concerned. It proposes a suitable solution to avoid legal action.
The amicable settlement may take different shapes (informal settlement or mediation).
Informal Regulation
Simple exchanges of letters or emails sometimes make it possible to resolve the situation simply and quickly.
Mediation
The Defender of Rights may also try to set the litigation by organizing mediation between the public service involved and you.
Please note
Mediation is regulated by law. It makes it possible in particular to guarantee the confidentiality of exchanges between you and the defendant.
Recommendations
The Defender of Rights may all recommendation to ensure that your rights and freedoms are respected and to resolve or prevent the renewal of the problems raised before it.
The public service shall inform the Defender of Rights, within the time limit it shall set, of the follow-up given to its recommendations.
If the public service does not provide information within the deadline or if the Defender of Rights considers, on the basis of the information received, that the recommendation has not been implemented, he may order him to take specific measures within a specified time. For example, issue an authorization that had been refused.
Where no action has been taken on its injunction, the Defender of Rights shall draw up a special report. This report is communicated to the public service and published.
The Defender of Rights may also decide to publish the public service response.
Request for sanctions
If the Defender of Rights finds in his investigation facts that merit disciplinary action, he may request the competent authority to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the authors. For example, an unjustified refusal by an officer to process applications filed by users.
The competent authority must inform the Defender of Rights of the follow-up given to his request and, if he has not initiated disciplinary proceedings, send him the reasons for this decision.
If the competent authority does not provide information within the time limit or if the Defender of Rights considers, on the basis of the information received, that his request has not been followed up with the necessary measures, he may establish a special report. This report shall be communicated to the competent authority.
The Defender of Rights may decide to publish this special report and, if deemed necessary, the response of the authority.
Observations before the judge
The Defender of Rights cannot not to challenge a court decision, but it may present written or oral observations at the request of civil, administrative or criminal courts or at the request of parties.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Defender of Rights
By post (from France, free and without postage)
Defender of Rights
Free answer 71120
75342 Paris cedex 07
Warning: attach to your mail photocopies of the documents relating to your referral.
By email
Access to contact form
Defender of Rights