The Early History of Law

  • The Code of Hammurabi
    1750 BCE

    The Code of Hammurabi

    This is one of earliest records of laws being recorded. Nearly 300 laws were carved into stone and the punishments were consistent. At this time, it was believed that harsh punishment was deserved when laws were broken.
  • Mosaic Law
    1240 BCE

    Mosaic Law

    Moses, who is said to have been given law from God, gave them to the Hebrew people. These laws were carved into two stones and were called the 10 commandments. Restitution was practiced under this law.
  • Justinian Law
    550 BCE

    Justinian Law

    The Byzantine Emperor Justinian codified 1000 years of Roman Law, which emphasized equality under the law.
  • Feudal System
    1000

    Feudal System

    When France conquered England, the land was divided among the nobles. The lords has servants who judged the law and these judges often began overlooking cases. Inconsistency began to rise.These decisions lead to what is currently known as common law in England.
  • Magna Carta
    1215

    Magna Carta

    The Magna Carta was a document made after King John of England abused his power. This introduced the rule of law, which stated that all people (rulers and commoners) must follow the same laws. It also introduced Habeas Corpus which was "a person must be brought to court to decide if they are being legally obtained".
  • Parliament and Statute Law
    1265

    Parliament and Statute Law

    English nobility wanted more power so they challenged King Henry III. The first parliament was created and its job was to pass laws. They began writing down laws so that the public could read them.
  • Napoleonic Code

    Napoleonic Code

    This is also known as the French civil code. Napoleon was in control of most of Europe at this time and because of this they followed this model.