Antoine Portail
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Antoine Portail | |
|---|---|
 Copy of an anonymous portrait, Museum of the Palace of Versailles. | |
| Born | 1675 |
| Died | May 3, 1736 (aged 60–61) |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Known for | Member of the French Academy (Seat 17) |
Antoine Portail (1675 – 3 May 1736) was a French politician, a First President of the Parlement of Paris, and a member of the French Academy.
To fully understand this article, one must be familiar with the judicial system of France under the Old Regime, during the 17th and 18th centuries. Though the English word parliament derived from the French word parlement, they were not the same thing. A French parlement was closer to an English superior court of appeals. Just as the English parliament is divided into "chambers", a French parlement also had several "chambers". There were over a dozen French parlements throughout the country, the most important of which was in Paris. The highest "chamber" of the Parlement of Paris was the "Great Chamber".
