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Civil
law is the predominant system of law in the world, with its origins
in Roman law, and sets out a comprehensive system of rules, usually
codified, that are applied and interpreted by judges.
However, modern systems are descendants of the 19th century codification
movement, during which the most important codes (most prominently
the Napoleonic Code and the BGB) came into existence.
As discussed in detail below, the civil law systems of Scotland
and South Africa are uncodified, and the civil law systems of
Scandinavian countries remain largely uncodified.
Civil or civilian law is a legal tradition which is the base of
the law in the majority of countries of the world, especially
in continental Europe and the former Soviet Union, but also in
Quebec (Canada), Louisiana (USA), Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory),
Japan, Latin America, and most former colonies of continental
European countries.
The Scottish legal system is usually considered to be a mixed
system in that Scots law has a basis in Roman law, combining features
of both uncodified and Civil law systems.
In western and southwestern parts of the US, laws in such diverse
areas as divorce and water rights show the influence of their
Iberian civil law heritage, being based on distinctly different
principles from the laws of the northeastern states colonized
by settlers with English common-law roots.
History
The civil law is based on Roman law, especially the Corpus Juris
Civilis of Emperor Justinian, as later developed through the Middle
Ages by mediæval legal scholars.
The acceptance of Roman law had different characteristics in different
countries. In some of them its effect resulted from legislative
act, i.e.
it became positive law, whereas in other ones it became accepted
by way of its processing by legal theorists.
Consequently, Roman law did not completely dominate in Europe.
Roman law was a secondary source, that was applied only as long
as local customs and local laws lacked a pertinent provision on
a particular matter.
However, local rules too were interpreted primarily according
to Roman law (it being a common European legal tradition of sorts),
resulting in its influencing the main source of law also.
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