[a] The cour d'assises, uniquely outside military law, could sentence proven convicts for serious crimes, e.g. murder (assassinat or meurtre) to the death penalty, until it was abolished from French law in September 1981.
Lists of eligible jurors are put together at random from the list of registered voters, but both the prosecution and defense have the right to peremptory challenge and can refuse a juror without stating a reason.
As in all French criminal trials, the victim is a party with his or her own attorney, besides the public prosecution.
If the accused is convicted the court will, without the jury, rule on civil damages.
If this appeal on law is denied, the verdict is final; otherwise, the Court of Cassation will quash (casse) the verdict and remand the case to the appeal court for a retrial of points of fact and law.