Procedures
French-derived procedure with OHADA enforcement
Civil procedure follows the received French model, with OHADA's recovery and enforcement Act governing execution. Court functioning outside Bangui has been repeatedly interrupted by conflict.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Tribunaux de grande instance, Cours d'appel, Cour de cassation, and the CCJA for Uniform Act points.
- Deadline — Appel: one month from service
- Deadline — Injonction de payer: opposition within fifteen days
Governing law
- Code de procédure civile centrafricain
- Acte uniforme portant organisation des procédures simplifiées de recouvrement et des voies d'exécution
In practice
The practical obstacle in Central African civil procedure is not the rules but the availability of courts: judicial redeployment outside the capital has been a central objective of successive peace agreements, and where courts do not sit, customary authorities resolve disputes.