{
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "id": "saint-martin",
  "name": "Saint-Martin (French side of Saint Martin / Sint Maarten island)",
  "jurisdiction_code": "MF",
  "legal_system": "civil-law",
  "language": ["fr"],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "generated": "2026-06-04",
  "summary": "Saint-Martin is a Caribbean civil-law French overseas collectivity (Collectivité d'outre-mer / COM) — structurally distinctive globally as the only state-level entity sharing a single island with a different state's legal-system framework (Dutch Sint Maarten on the southern side of the same island, under Kingdom of the Netherlands constituent-country framework). Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten share the island of Saint Martin (French side) / Sint Maarten (Dutch side) under the 1648 Treaty of Concordia partition. Saint-Martin achieved COM autonomy from Guadeloupe DROM on 22 February 2007 via 2003 referendum. Family-law framework operates under the French Civil Code with COM-specific adaptations under the Organic Law 2007-223 (Statut). Parental authority (autorité parentale) and child custody are governed by Civil Code arts. 371-387. The Court of Appeal of Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe) has jurisdiction over Saint-Martin matters; final appellate jurisdiction lies with the French Court of Cassation in Paris. Family-law matters are heard at first instance in the Tribunal de Première Instance de Saint-Martin (Marigot). Cross-border family-law coordination with neighboring Dutch Sint Maarten operates through diplomatic arrangements between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Psychology profession is regulated through the French Republic professional framework as applicable in Saint-Martin. Saint-Martin is silent on 'parental alienation' as a statutory label; courts operate substantively under the French interest-of-the-child standard. Saint-Martin is a Hague Convention 1980 party via French Republic territorial extension effective 1 December 1983.",
  "pa_recognition_status": {
    "statutory": "silent",
    "apex_court_position": "no-apex-position",
    "professional_regulator_position": "silent"
  },
  "statutory_framework": [
    {
      "citation": "French Civil Code arts. 371-387 (applicable in Saint-Martin)",
      "title": "French Civil Code — Parental authority",
      "year": 1804,
      "url": "https://www.cour-de-cassation.fr/",
      "relevance": "French Civil Code applicable in Saint-Martin with COM-specific adaptations. Arts. 371-387 govern autorité parentale and child custody."
    },
    {
      "citation": "Organic Law 2007-223 of 21 February 2007 (Statut of Saint-Martin)",
      "title": "Statut of Saint-Martin",
      "year": 2007,
      "url": "https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/",
      "relevance": "Federal Organic Law establishing Saint-Martin's COM autonomy from Guadeloupe DROM effective 22 February 2007 following 2003 referendum."
    },
    {
      "citation": "Treaty of Concordia 1648",
      "title": "Treaty of Concordia",
      "year": 1648,
      "url": "https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/",
      "relevance": "International treaty between France and the Dutch Republic partitioning the island of Saint Martin between French and Dutch portions."
    }
  ],
  "apex_courts": [
    {
      "name": "Court of Appeal of Basse-Terre (Cour d'appel de Basse-Terre) — Saint-Martin jurisdiction",
      "seat": "Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe",
      "url": "https://www.cour-appel-basse-terre.justice.fr/",
      "role": "Apex appellate court for civil and criminal matters from Saint-Martin."
    },
    {
      "name": "French Court of Cassation (Cour de Cassation)",
      "seat": "Paris",
      "url": "https://www.cour-de-cassation.fr/",
      "role": "Final appellate court for civil and criminal matters from Saint-Martin."
    }
  ],
  "professional_regulators": [
    {
      "name": "French Republic professional framework (applicable in Saint-Martin)",
      "url": "https://www.sante.gouv.fr/",
      "role": "French professional regulatory framework for health and allied health professionals including clinical psychology applicable in Saint-Martin."
    }
  ],
  "anonymisation_convention": "Saint-Martinois family-court decisions are anonymised per Court of Appeal practice using initials.",
  "key_developments": [
    {
      "year": 1648,
      "title": "Treaty of Concordia + island-partition + shared-island-framework",
      "description": "Treaty of Concordia 23 March 1648 between France and Dutch Republic partitioned the island of Saint Martin into French (north ~53 km²) and Dutch (south ~34 km²) portions — substantively distinctive globally only-state-level-entity-sharing-single-island-with-different-state's-legal-system-framework framework. Foundational substantive 377+ year shared-island framework persisting through 21st century affecting subsequent constitutional-administrative-trajectory."
    },
    {
      "year": 1804,
      "title": "Code civil des Français + Napoleon-Code framework",
      "description": "Code civil des Français (later Code Napoléon) 21 March 1804 applicable in French Saint-Martin — substantively significant Caribbean French-Civil-Code-substantive-heritage framework. Foundational substantive civil-law framework persisting through subsequent reform-trajectory affecting family-law-implementation including arts. 371-387 governing autorité parentale and child custody."
    },
    {
      "year": 1848,
      "title": "Abolition of slavery + Victor-Schœlcher-decree framework",
      "description": "Slavery abolished in French Saint-Martin under the Second Republic via Victor Schœlcher decree 27 April 1848 — substantively distinctive globally Second-French-Republic-Schœlcher-abolition framework. Substantive demographic and family-law-implementation transformation affecting subsequent constitutional-democratic-trajectory."
    },
    {
      "year": 1946,
      "title": "Guadeloupe-DROM-integration + Saint-Martin-as-Guadeloupe-arrondissement framework",
      "description": "Guadeloupe DROM established 19 March 1946 — Saint-Martin integrated as arrondissement of Guadeloupe DROM under loi de départementalisation. Foundational pre-2007-COM-separation framework affecting subsequent constitutional-administrative-trajectory."
    },
    {
      "year": 1983,
      "title": "Hague Convention 1980 territorial extension + France-UNCRC-ratification framework",
      "description": "Hague Convention 1980 territorial extension by France to Saint-Martin effective 1 December 1983 (via Guadeloupe DROM framework). France ratified UNCRC 7 August 1990 with applicability to Saint-Martin — establishing interest-of-the-child substantive doctrine within French-derivative-civil-law framework applicable to Saint-Martin."
    },
    {
      "year": 2003,
      "title": "COM autonomy referendum + 76-percent-in-favour framework",
      "description": "Saint-Martin voted 76% in favour of COM autonomy from Guadeloupe DROM 7 December 2003 — substantively distinctive Caribbean French-DROM-to-COM-separation framework. Substantive self-determination framework affecting subsequent constitutional-democratic-trajectory."
    },
    {
      "year": 2007,
      "title": "Organic Law 2007-223 + COM-autonomy-effective framework",
      "description": "Federal Organic Law 2007-223 of 21 February 2007 establishing Saint-Martin's COM autonomy effective 22 February 2007 — substantively distinctive Caribbean COM-Assemblée framework with own Assembly, Council, and President. Substantive constitutional-administrative framework affecting subsequent constitutional-democratic-trajectory."
    },
    {
      "year": 2010,
      "title": "Sint-Maarten-becomes-Kingdom-of-the-Netherlands-constituent-country + island-bilateral-framework",
      "description": "Sint Maarten (Dutch side) became Kingdom of the Netherlands constituent country 10 October 2010 (10-10-10 framework) — substantively distinctive Caribbean island-bilateral-framework-with-DROM/COM-French-side-and-Kingdom-of-the-Netherlands-constituent-country-Dutch-side framework. Substantive cross-border family-law coordination on single island with French-Republic + Kingdom-of-the-Netherlands diplomatic arrangements affecting subsequent cross-border-jurisdiction-practice."
    },
    {
      "year": 2017,
      "title": "Hurricane Irma + Saint-Martin-devastation + reconstruction framework",
      "description": "Hurricane Irma 6 September 2017 substantively devastated Saint-Martin — substantively distinctive Caribbean climate-disaster framework. Substantive demographic and family-law-implementation disruption through post-disaster reconstruction trajectory affecting subsequent constitutional-democratic-trajectory."
    },
    {
      "year": 2024,
      "title": "Cour d'appel de Basse-Terre + Cour de Cassation — interest-of-the-child substantive register + continuing-shared-island-+-cross-border-context framework",
      "description": "Court of Appeal of Basse-Terre (Saint-Martin jurisdiction) and French Court of Cassation continue to develop interest-of-the-child jurisprudence under Civil Code arts. 371-387 + Organic Law 2007-223 + Hague Convention 1980 framework in custody disputes within continuing-shared-island context with Dutch Sint Maarten requiring France-Kingdom of the Netherlands diplomatic arrangements. Substantive analysis without doctrinal 'parental alienation' label adoption."
    }
  ],
  "structural_findings": [
    "Saint-Martin operates a French-civil-law framework with COM autonomy — places Saint-Martin in the French overseas collectivity cluster.",
    "Shared-island position with Dutch Sint Maarten is structurally distinctive globally — only state-level entity sharing a single island with a different state's legal-system framework (French civil-law vs Dutch civil-law) under the 1648 Treaty of Concordia partition.",
    "COM autonomy from Guadeloupe DROM (2007) is shared with Saint-Barthélemy — only French DROM-to-COM separation in recent history.",
    "Cross-border family-law coordination with Dutch Sint Maarten requires France-Kingdom of the Netherlands diplomatic arrangements — distinctive cross-border framework on single island.",
    "Hague Convention 1980 applicability via French Republic territorial extension reflects COM Hague jurisdiction status."
  ],
  "references": [
    "jurisdiction:france",
    "jurisdiction:sint-maarten",
    "jurisdiction:saint-barthelemy",
    "jurisdiction:guadeloupe",
    "evidence:cross-border-parental-abduction-and-pa-intersection",
    "evidence:childrens-rights-paramountcy-doctrine"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Court of Appeal of Basse-Terre",
      "url": "https://www.cour-appel-basse-terre.justice.fr/",
      "publisher": "Court of Appeal",
      "language": "fr"
    },
    {
      "title": "Légifrance",
      "url": "https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/",
      "publisher": "French Government",
      "language": "fr"
    }
  ],
  "editorial_notes": [
    "Saint-Martin jurisdiction sidecar v1.1 — deepened 2026-06-09 from 4 to 10 key_developments with full Treaty-of-Concordia-1648-to-continuing-shared-island-context trajectory: 1648-Treaty-of-Concordia-+-island-partition + 1804-Code-civil-des-Français + 1848-abolition-of-slavery-Schœlcher + 1946-Guadeloupe-DROM-integration + 1983-Hague-Convention-+-France-UNCRC + 2003-COM-autonomy-referendum-76-percent + 2007-Organic-Law-2007-223-COM-autonomy + 2010-Sint-Maarten-Kingdom-constituent-country-10-10-10 + 2017-Hurricane-Irma-+-devastation + 2024-Cour-d'appel-de-Basse-Terre-+-Cour-de-Cassation-interest.",
    "Civil-law Caribbean French COM (French Civil Code + Organic Law 2007-223 COM autonomy from Guadeloupe DROM + 1648 Treaty of Concordia shared-island with Dutch Sint Maarten + Hague via French Republic territorial extension 1983). Only state-level entity sharing single island with different state's legal-system framework globally 377+ years + post-2010 Sint-Maarten Kingdom-of-the-Netherlands-constituent-country bilateral framework.",
    "PA-recognition: silent statutory + no-apex-position + silent regulator — substantive interest-of-the-child analysis under Civil Code arts. 371-387 + Organic Law 2007-223 + Hague Convention 1980 framework without doctrinal 'parental alienation' label.",
    "Joins Caribbean + civil-law + French-COM-cluster + shared-island-with-Dutch-Sint-Maarten-globally-distinctive-377-years + Treaty-of-Concordia-1648 + Code-civil-des-Français-1804 + Victor-Schœlcher-abolition-1848 + Guadeloupe-DROM-integration-1946 + DROM-to-COM-separation-Saint-Barthélemy-shared-2007 + Sint-Maarten-Kingdom-of-the-Netherlands-constituent-country-10-10-10 + Hurricane-Irma-2017-climate-disaster + cross-border-France-Kingdom-of-the-Netherlands-diplomatic-arrangements + Hague-via-French-Republic-territorial-extension clusters within the corpus."
  ]
}