civil law
Also known as Roman law, Romano-Germanic law, neo-Roman law, continental law, European law, civil law systems
legal system originating in continental Europe
AI overview
Civil law is a legal system that originated in continental Europe and is based on comprehensive written codes of law rather than on court decisions. It matters because many countries around the world use this system to establish rules for contracts, property, family matters, and other disputes between individuals and organizations.
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Article
Legal systems of the world. Civil law-based systems are in blue, with mixed systems incorporating elements of both civil law and common law in pink.
Civil law is a legal system rooted in the Roman Empire and was comprehensively codified and disseminated starting in the 19th century, most notably with France's Napoleonic Code (1804) and Germany's Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (1900). Unlike common law systems, which rely heavily on judicial precedent, civil law systems are characterized by their reliance on legal codes that function as the primary source of law. Today, civil law is the world's most common legal system, practiced in about 150 countries.