The article examines some aspects of the protection of constitutional rights and freedoms in France. Constitutional control in France has a dual nature, which makes it unique in comparison with many other models: The Council of State exercised it for acts of executive power, and the Constitutional Council did it for acts of legislative power. The authors pay particular attention to the Constitutional Council as a relatively new institution, which activities had a significant impact on the current state of civil rights and freedoms. The article analyzes the history of the Constitutional Council, its law enforcement activities and reform. © 2021, Rossiiskaya Akademiya Nauk, Institut Istorii (Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of General Hist. All rights reserved.