'Is it not an absurd and terrible thing that what is true in one village is false in another? What kind of barbarism is it that citizens must live under different laws? When you travel in this kingdom you change legal systems as often as you change horses?'
Voltaire
The principal tenet of the Civil Code was that every French p...
Napoleon and the Common Law
'Is it not an absurd and terrible thing that what is true in one village is false in another? What kind of barbarism is it that citizens must live under different laws? When you travel in this kingdom you change legal systems as often as you change horses?'
Voltaire
The principal tenet of the Civil Code was that every French person was equal before the law.
This was a boon for many, however, while he took the religious aspect out of divorce, many of his views did limit Revolution-founded freedoms for women.
For example women were not allowed to independently trade in chattels or property, but had to ask their husbands before they did so.
He tightened divorce laws and fathers were empowered as rulers of their homes. They could ban children from inheritance and also imprison children for a month.
He showed great foresight in beginning a programme of public works that included building canals, harbours and made roads better and safer by improving their condition and cracking down on brigands.
Education was improved for many, although the majority of children did not gain benefit from his new specialised and high schools. He encouraged the creation of private schools and sowed the seeds of community-wide literacy.
Never one to accept criticism well, Napoleon cracked down on the press, censoring newspapers and eventually closing down all but a few.
The Civil Code was officially enacted in 1804 and in 1807 was renamed Code Napoleon. It applied to all French domains and territories as well as being adopted by countries within the sphere of French influence.
Today the Civil Code forms the basis of many European legal systems.
