ART 475: Judgements passed for simple offences may be appealed only if they hand down a prison term or a fine higher than 6000 francs. The right to appeal shall be open to all the parties involved in the case, subject to the provisions of article 482 relating to interest rates applicable in civil proceedings. In cases prosecuted at the request of THE department for water resources and forestry, all the parties shall have the right to appeal irrespective of the nature and size of the sentences. The state counsel may appeal against any judgement passed in a simple offence case. ART 476: Appeals against judgements for simple offences shall be made before the court of appeal. PART IX ORDINARY MEANS OF APPEAL AGAINST JUDGEMENTS CHAPTER I - GENERAL PROVISIONS ART 477: Parties may challenge judgements passed in misdemeanours proceedings through appeals and objections subject to the forms and time limits spelt out in articles 499 et seq. of the Civil, Commercial and Social Procedure Code. CHAPTER II - OBJECTION ART 478: Excluding the cases provided for in articles 444, 445, 448, 449 and 496, any regularly summoned person who fails to appear on the day and hour stated in the summons shall be tried in abstentia. ART 479: Sentences passed in absentia shall be considered null and void if the accused objects to their enforcement. The objection shall be made known to the public prosecutor, who in turn will have to inform the party claiming damages. The defendant may decide to object solely to the civil provisions of the judgement. In this case, he/she must directly notify the party claiming damages. A defendant who fails t o appear on the day and hour stated in the summons shall be tried in absentia. ART 480: If the notice was not served directly to the person concerned or if the writ to enforce the judgement does not show that the defendant knew about the notice, the objec tion shall be admissible until the time limits for prescription of the sentence expiry. ART 481: The objection shall serve, under the law, as a summons at the first hearing, given the time limits for summons. It shall be null and void if the party objecting fails to appear at the hearing and the judgement passed by the court regarding the related objection may be challenged by the party who made it, in any manner if not through appeal. CHAPTER III - APPEAL §1 General Provisions ART 482: The following entities shall have the right to appeal: 1° The defendant; 70