CHAPTER I: SOURCES OF LAW
I. MAIN CHARECTHERISTICS OF LAW:
Exists in the form of legal rules( different from moral rules such as Etiquette or religion)
Can be enforced by collective means, more specifically, by organs of state which have very
specific sanctions
It is created by means of legislation or judicial decision, written down and therefore is
called Positive Law
It offers LEGAL CERTAINTY:
o About the CONTENT of the law ( the law is what is written down and not what a
person thinks it is right or wrong in its moral point of view)
o That the law will be ENFORCED( by the competent organs of the State and not by
the parties involved)
o That the law will be applied CONSISTENTLY ( similar cases are treated in a similar
way)
II. ROMAN LAW:
TRIBAL COSTUMARY LAW:
o ‘Law of a people’ due to the organization in small groups of tribes
o Guidelines for behaviour, very close to moral principles
o Spontaneous
o Based on mutual expectations
o Transmitted from generation to generation which could lead to misinterpretations
o Supposed to be immutable
o Unwritten
CODIFICATION
o The process of writing down the law
o Sum of customary law and law that was therefore created through legislation
, o It became harder for those from upper classes to manipulate the law because now
the law could be inspected by anyone who could read
PRAETOR
o First approach
o Interprets the law
o Writes down the formula, a legal instruction, if he founds that the case would have
a successful outcome
IUDEX
o Reads the formula
o Determines the veracity of the case
o Checks the facts of the case
o Advised by laymen
JURISTS
o Gives advice to the Praetor
o Gives advice to the process parties
THE CORPUS IURIS CIVILIS
o The barbarian invasions precipitated the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (
455 CE), however the Eastern part survived until 1453
o Emperor Justinianus
o Attempt to codify all the existing Roman Law
o Divided in three parts
Codex ( imperial legislation)
Digest ( collection of jurists writings)
Institutions ( student textbook)
III. COMMON LAW
Not influenced by Roman Law as much as the Continental countries
Affected by the fact that the Germanic tribes brought back the tribal customary law
Attempt to codify all the customary law existing
o Royal representatives – who travelled all over England and applied the same
law everywhere
o Creation of Central courts of Justice- facilitated the application of UNIFORM
law everywhere in England
I. MAIN CHARECTHERISTICS OF LAW:
Exists in the form of legal rules( different from moral rules such as Etiquette or religion)
Can be enforced by collective means, more specifically, by organs of state which have very
specific sanctions
It is created by means of legislation or judicial decision, written down and therefore is
called Positive Law
It offers LEGAL CERTAINTY:
o About the CONTENT of the law ( the law is what is written down and not what a
person thinks it is right or wrong in its moral point of view)
o That the law will be ENFORCED( by the competent organs of the State and not by
the parties involved)
o That the law will be applied CONSISTENTLY ( similar cases are treated in a similar
way)
II. ROMAN LAW:
TRIBAL COSTUMARY LAW:
o ‘Law of a people’ due to the organization in small groups of tribes
o Guidelines for behaviour, very close to moral principles
o Spontaneous
o Based on mutual expectations
o Transmitted from generation to generation which could lead to misinterpretations
o Supposed to be immutable
o Unwritten
CODIFICATION
o The process of writing down the law
o Sum of customary law and law that was therefore created through legislation
, o It became harder for those from upper classes to manipulate the law because now
the law could be inspected by anyone who could read
PRAETOR
o First approach
o Interprets the law
o Writes down the formula, a legal instruction, if he founds that the case would have
a successful outcome
IUDEX
o Reads the formula
o Determines the veracity of the case
o Checks the facts of the case
o Advised by laymen
JURISTS
o Gives advice to the Praetor
o Gives advice to the process parties
THE CORPUS IURIS CIVILIS
o The barbarian invasions precipitated the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (
455 CE), however the Eastern part survived until 1453
o Emperor Justinianus
o Attempt to codify all the existing Roman Law
o Divided in three parts
Codex ( imperial legislation)
Digest ( collection of jurists writings)
Institutions ( student textbook)
III. COMMON LAW
Not influenced by Roman Law as much as the Continental countries
Affected by the fact that the Germanic tribes brought back the tribal customary law
Attempt to codify all the customary law existing
o Royal representatives – who travelled all over England and applied the same
law everywhere
o Creation of Central courts of Justice- facilitated the application of UNIFORM
law everywhere in England
