The French Civil Code (UT Austin Studies in Foreign and Transnational Law) - Softcover

Halperin, Jean-Louis

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844721310 ISBN 13: 9781844721313

Publisher: Routledge, 2006

Synopsis

This book charts the formation of the French Civil Code, examining both its public and private effects.

From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, French private law was very different in the various parts of the country. In northern and central France, there were as many as sixty-five general customs in force, as well as over three hundred local customs, often differing from them in detail. As the feeling of nationhood grew, so did the idea of replacing the existing variety of laws by a single private law, possibly a code, common to all of France. 'A single body of law, called the Code Civil is to be created' proclaimed the Law of 21 March 1804, which was created by the amalgamation of thirty-six texts.

The French Civil Code analyzes the Code using contemporary and modern sources, including the beautiful and concise extract from H.A.L. Fisher's History of Europe which gives an English historian's appraisal of Napoleon's contribution to the Code Civil.

This text will appeal to all students of and those with an interest in international law.

About this title

Synopsis

From the 16th to the 18th centuries French private law was very different in the various parts of the country. In Northern and Central France, there were as many as 65 general customs in force, as well as over 300 local customs, often differing from them in detail. As the feeling of nationhood grew, so did the idea of replacing the existing variety of laws by a single private law, possibly a code, common to all of France. 'A single body of law, called the Code civil is to be created.' So proclaimed the Law of 21 March 1804 (30 ventse year XII). It was to be created by the amalgamation of 36 texts recently adopted. This was the culmination of an enterprise started many years previously. The idea of unifying French private law, conceived under Louis XI, had been frequently repeated since then, but under the ancien rgime lawyers never got beyond sketching and planning. Proper drafts of a civil code were put to assembly after assembly under the Revolution, but in ten years none of them was ever adopted. This book charts the formation of the French Civil Code, examining both the public and private effects.

It analyses the Code using contemporary and modern sources, including very beautiful and concise extract from H.A.L. Fisher's "History of Europe", which gives an English historian's appraisal of Napoleon's contribution to the Code civil.

About the Author

Jean-Louis Halprin is Professor of Law at the Ecole Normale suprieure in Paris. He has previously taught legal history at the Universities of Lyon III and Dijon, becoming dean of the Law Faculty at the latter in 2000. His previous publications include Histoire des droits en Europe (Flammarion, 2004), Deux cent ans de code civil (editor, Dalloz, 2004) and L'impossible Code civil (Presses Universitaires de France, 1992)

Edition details

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1844721310
• ISBN 13: 9781844721313
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 136