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Jan 1, 604
The Seventeen Article Constitution of Japan
Issued by prince Shotoku Taishi, the Seventeen Article Constitution of Japan emphasized Confucian virtues and adherence to Buddhism. The consitution sought to unify Japan by stressing obediance, resonsibility and harmonious relations. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/536594/Seventeen-Article-Constitution -
Jan 1, 653
T'ang Code
The T'ang Code was created after 400 years of unification in China. The T'ang code was able to vastly reduce the number of articles in the previous code; from 1,735 to 501. The code listed all crimes and their punishments and revised existing laws and procedures. The influence of the T'ang Code was felt in China for four hundred years, and had an affect on Japan, Vietnam and Korea. http://www.ford.utexas.edu/museum/exhibits/china_exhibit/t'ang.htm -
Jun 15, 1215
Magna Carta
The Magna Carta was a document drafted by the Barons of England and it was designed to prevent King John of England from abusing his power. The clauses of the Magna Carta are mainly concerned with the position of the Church of England, the English legal system and guarantees that the Barons can "distress [the King of England] in every possible way." http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/magna_carta.htm -
Salem Witch Trials
In 1692 in the Puritan town of Salem, Massachusetts many young women began to experience bizarre symptoms, including seiure and hallucinations. Unable to explain the cause of the behaviour, the people of the town blamed witchcraft. The result was a trial of 300 men and women, accused of practicing witchcraft or wizardry. 20 people were executed before the trials were stopped. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/salem.htm -
The American Declaration of Independace
The Declaration of Independance was a formal declaration that all political ties between America and Britain were to be dissolved and that the United States was to be created. The Declaration of Independance stated "all men are equal" and gives them the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/ -
The American Bill of Rights
Four years after the Constitution was created, tan amendment to the supreme law of America was added. The American Bill of Rights was an amendment to the supreme law in America that gave people the right to "free speach, freedom of the press and of religion, a right to trial by jury and protection against cruel and unusual punishment." http://www.constitution.org/billofr_.htm -
Napoleonic Code
"The first modern organized body of law governing France," also known as the Napoleonic Code. It is considered a modernized version of Roman Law in that it draws on the civil law practices outlined in the Institutes of the Roman Corpus Juris Civilis. However. there were various French modifications added. http://law.jrank.org/pages/8702/Napoleonic-Code.html -
The Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were the trials of twenty four Nazi war criminals from the Second World War. The jury consisted of the International Military Tribunal. Half of the accused were sentenced to death, the others recieved harsh punishments for their evil crimes. -
Thirteenth Amendment
Passed as a result of the Civil War, the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified on December 6, 1865 and officially abolished slavery in the United States of America. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." http://www.greatamericanhistory.net/amendment.htm -
Justinian's Code
In 529 A.D. the Emperor of Byzantine gathered Roman law into four books by creating the Justinian Code. The first book was The Institutes, the second was The Digest, the third The Codex and the fourth The Novel. The books were a combination of laws, legal principles, cases and laws that were to be implemented. The influence from these four books can still be found in the law of Germany, Italy, Scotland,
South Africa and Quebec. http://www.canadianlawsite.ca/JustinianCode.htm
