French criminal law is a set of rules that everyone in France must follow, and if they break these rules, they might go to jail or pay a fine. It's like when you are playing a game with your friends, and you all agree to follow some rules. If someone breaks these rules, they might be sent to the timeout corner or have to leave the game.
Now, let's imagine that you are in France, and you broke one of these rules, like stealing a candy bar from the store. Since you broke the rule, the store owner might call the police, and they will come and talk to you. The police are like the referees in the game, and they have to make sure that everyone is following the rules.
If the police think you did something wrong, they will take you to a special kind of court called a criminal court. This is where the judge will decide if you are guilty or innocent. The judge is like the head referee, and they have to make the final decision.
Now, if the judge decides you are guilty, they will decide what kind of punishment you will get. This is like when your parents decide your punishment if you break a rule at home. The punishment could be going to jail for a certain amount of time, paying a fine, or doing community service, for example.
In French criminal law, it's really important that the punishment fits the crime. This means that if you did something small, like taking a candy bar, you won't get a really big punishment. But, if you did something really bad, like hurting someone, you might get a bigger punishment.
Overall, French criminal law is a set of rules that everyone in France has to follow. If they break these rules, they might go to jail or pay a fine. It's like a game that has rules, and if you break them, there are consequences.