|
|
 |
|
"The great glory of my reign is not having won forty battles; ...That which can never be denied, and that [which] will
live on forever is my Civil Code."
- Napoleon Bonaparte
|
|
|
Perhaps one of the greatest contributions that
Napoleon left behind for future generations was his Napoleonic Code. Before the Code, the law was a fluctuating set
of basic decrees that were either ignored or not issued properly. The formation of the Code implemented a basic guideline
of morals, and presented the body of France with a strict set of rules to follow. Though Napoleon is credited for the creation
of the Civil Code(Code Napoleon), he actually was not the first person to think of the idea. The idea of a codification
of French law was not new; proposals for a uniform Code dated back centuries. Napoleon himself only gathered the French legislators
together to debateon the idea. He added his own personal views about liberalism and conservatism within the Code,
along with the societal gains following the French Revolution. These gains included: equality before the law, freedom
of religion, and the abolition of feudalism.
"Constitutions are the work of time...we must at the
very least create a fixed and immovable basis."
-Napoleon Bonaparte
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Elements of The Civil Code
- Individual Freedom
- Equality before the Law
- Civil Rights
- Abolition of Privileges Based on Blood Lines and Social Class
- Inheritance Rights
- Contractural Law
- Religious Toleration
- Inviolability of Property
" Nothing should be made into a general rule unless
it conforms to the public interest."
"At the center of a society, like the sun, is the government."
"The law must be limited to general principles. To provide
for all its possible applications would be a futile endeavor..."
"There is not a single constitution in the world that is actually
observed. Everything around us changes continually..."
-Napoleon Bonaparte
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Picture Depicting Napoleon as a Lawmaker. |
Countries/Provinces Influenced By the
Civil Code
- Italy
- Germany
- Spain
- All of Latin America
- Quebec
- Belgium
- The Netherlands
- Luxembourg
- Louisiana
Date Passed by Legislature: March 21, 1804
Date Implemented: January 1, 1805
Other Napoleon Law Codes
- Criminal Code
- Code of Criminal Instruction
- Code of Criminal Procedure
- Rural Code
- Commercial Code
- Penal Code
|
|
|
|
