Civil Code of the French

The Civil Code of the French, usually called the Napoleonic Code, was promulgated in 1804 under Napoleon Bonaparte, who took a close interest in its preparation. It was drafted by a commission of jurists that combined Roman law traditions with customary law and the principles of the Revolution, such as equality before the law, the abolition of feudal privileges, secular civil marriage and the protection of private property. The code was written in clear language so that citizens could understand it, and it gave France a single body of private law in place of many regional rules. It was introduced in territories conquered by France and later influenced the legal systems of Belgium, Italy, Spain, Latin America and parts of Africa and the Middle East. A revised version remains in force in France today.

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