GLOBAL LEGAL HISTROY
2025-2026
Table of Contents
Module 1: Roman law ............................................................................................................................... 4
Civitas ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Early Republic .................................................................................................................................................. 4
The late republic (200 BC - 27 BC) ............................................................................................................ 5
The Roman Empire (49 BCE) ...................................................................................................................... 5
Ius (law) ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Archaic Rome ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
The Ius Civile ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Ius Gentium ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Ius Civile.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Jurisprudence ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Law during the Empire..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Statutes (lex) .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Lex in the republic .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Lex in the empire ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Christianity and roman law ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
Afterlife of Roman law ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Module 2: Chinese Dynastic History ................................................................................................. 10
Timeline of ancient China .......................................................................................................................... 10
Western Zhou dynasty ................................................................................................................................. 11
Confucius and the spring and autumn period ..................................................................................................................... 11
Confucianism vs legalism ............................................................................................................................................................. 11
The Qin dynasty ............................................................................................................................................. 12
The Han dynasty............................................................................................................................................ 12
Imperial Confucianism................................................................................................................................ 12
Chinese CodiOications .................................................................................................................................. 13
The Tang Code ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
The Ming Code................................................................................................................................................ 13
Module 3: The medieval state and Ius commune in Western Europe ................................... 14
Sources of law in post-Roman Europe ................................................................................................... 14
, Global Legal History
Governance in post-Roman Europe ....................................................................................... 14
Crisis of the 12th century ........................................................................................................................... 14
Burgundian chambres des comptes ....................................................................................................... 15
The investiture controversy ...................................................................................................................... 15
Papal revolution ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Legal revolution............................................................................................................................................. 16
Rediscovery of roman law .......................................................................................................................... 16
Scholastic method......................................................................................................................................... 17
Ius commune, Ius canonicum, Ius proprium ....................................................................................... 17
Module 4: Islamic law and empire.................................................................................................... 18
Early islam....................................................................................................................................................... 18
Rise of islam.................................................................................................................................................... 18
Islamic history ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Islam and slavery .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Slaves under Sharia ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Mamluks, Janissaries and the islamic empire ..................................................................................... 20
Mamluks .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Ottoman empire ............................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Janassaries .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Module 5: early modern colonialism and slavery ....................................................................... 23
Spanish imperialism in the Americas .................................................................................................... 23
Ruling the Americas ..................................................................................................................................... 23
Native customs: land rights in early modern spanish america ..................................................... 24
Treatment of the native americans ......................................................................................................... 24
Colonial law and governance: the spanish empire ............................................................................ 25
Right to land ................................................................................................................................................... 25
Module 6: common law ......................................................................................................................... 26
Two styles of justice ..................................................................................................................................... 26
English common law .................................................................................................................................... 26
Rise of English common law ...................................................................................................................... 27
Characteristics of Common law ................................................................................................................ 28
Page 2
, Global Legal History
King vs parliament ...................................................................................................................... 29
Module 7: modern codiHication .......................................................................................................... 30
Modern law: context .................................................................................................................................... 30
The American revolution ........................................................................................................................... 31
The French revolution ................................................................................................................................. 32
The Code Civil ................................................................................................................................................. 33
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch............................................................................................................................ 34
Module 8: Legal transition under pressure ................................................................................... 36
Legal systems and legal traditions .......................................................................................................... 36
CodiOication ..................................................................................................................................................... 37
Globalisation and colonial context ......................................................................................................... 37
Legal systems in Asia ................................................................................................................................... 37
Japan ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
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, Global Legal History
MODULE 1: ROMAN LAW
Civitas
● Romans found in ⅞ BCE - 753 BCE
● Latin = partitions
● Etrucscans = rules
● Clans = gentes
● Clientes = voluntary
Early Republic
● The imperium was given to two Consuls, who held a mutual veto power
○ One-year term
○ Appointed by vote from among the patricians
● Other magistrates
○ Praetors
■ Judicial
○ Censors
■ Lands, census and votes
○ Aedils
■ Buildings and public works
○ Quaestors
■ Treasurer
○ Tribunes
■ Representatives
● The Law of the XII Tables (450 BCE) created the first Lex (Roman Law)
● In the Senate, Senators were appointed for life by the censors called Senatus Populusque
Romanus (S.P.Q.R). There were three legislative assemblies:
○ Comitia curiata or Curiate Assembly
■ they passed laws, elected consuls and tried judicial cases.
○ Comitia centuriata or Centuriate Assembly
■ the objective of this assembly was to decide on legislative, electoral, and judicial
purposes. The majority of votes in any century decided how that century voted.
■ This assembly could declare war or elect the highest-ranking roman magistrates.
○ Concilium plebis or Plebeian Council,
■ the principal assembly for the common people.
■ it functioned as a legislative and judicial assembly, where the plebeians passed
laws (plebiscites), elect their tribunals and try judicial cases.
Page 4
2025-2026
Table of Contents
Module 1: Roman law ............................................................................................................................... 4
Civitas ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Early Republic .................................................................................................................................................. 4
The late republic (200 BC - 27 BC) ............................................................................................................ 5
The Roman Empire (49 BCE) ...................................................................................................................... 5
Ius (law) ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Archaic Rome ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
The Ius Civile ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 6
Ius Gentium ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Ius Civile.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Jurisprudence ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Law during the Empire..................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Statutes (lex) .................................................................................................................................................... 8
Lex in the republic .............................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Lex in the empire ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Christianity and roman law ............................................................................................................................................................ 9
Afterlife of Roman law ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Module 2: Chinese Dynastic History ................................................................................................. 10
Timeline of ancient China .......................................................................................................................... 10
Western Zhou dynasty ................................................................................................................................. 11
Confucius and the spring and autumn period ..................................................................................................................... 11
Confucianism vs legalism ............................................................................................................................................................. 11
The Qin dynasty ............................................................................................................................................. 12
The Han dynasty............................................................................................................................................ 12
Imperial Confucianism................................................................................................................................ 12
Chinese CodiOications .................................................................................................................................. 13
The Tang Code ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
The Ming Code................................................................................................................................................ 13
Module 3: The medieval state and Ius commune in Western Europe ................................... 14
Sources of law in post-Roman Europe ................................................................................................... 14
, Global Legal History
Governance in post-Roman Europe ....................................................................................... 14
Crisis of the 12th century ........................................................................................................................... 14
Burgundian chambres des comptes ....................................................................................................... 15
The investiture controversy ...................................................................................................................... 15
Papal revolution ............................................................................................................................................ 15
Legal revolution............................................................................................................................................. 16
Rediscovery of roman law .......................................................................................................................... 16
Scholastic method......................................................................................................................................... 17
Ius commune, Ius canonicum, Ius proprium ....................................................................................... 17
Module 4: Islamic law and empire.................................................................................................... 18
Early islam....................................................................................................................................................... 18
Rise of islam.................................................................................................................................................... 18
Islamic history ............................................................................................................................................... 19
Islam and slavery .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Slaves under Sharia ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Mamluks, Janissaries and the islamic empire ..................................................................................... 20
Mamluks .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Ottoman empire ............................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Janassaries .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Module 5: early modern colonialism and slavery ....................................................................... 23
Spanish imperialism in the Americas .................................................................................................... 23
Ruling the Americas ..................................................................................................................................... 23
Native customs: land rights in early modern spanish america ..................................................... 24
Treatment of the native americans ......................................................................................................... 24
Colonial law and governance: the spanish empire ............................................................................ 25
Right to land ................................................................................................................................................... 25
Module 6: common law ......................................................................................................................... 26
Two styles of justice ..................................................................................................................................... 26
English common law .................................................................................................................................... 26
Rise of English common law ...................................................................................................................... 27
Characteristics of Common law ................................................................................................................ 28
Page 2
, Global Legal History
King vs parliament ...................................................................................................................... 29
Module 7: modern codiHication .......................................................................................................... 30
Modern law: context .................................................................................................................................... 30
The American revolution ........................................................................................................................... 31
The French revolution ................................................................................................................................. 32
The Code Civil ................................................................................................................................................. 33
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch............................................................................................................................ 34
Module 8: Legal transition under pressure ................................................................................... 36
Legal systems and legal traditions .......................................................................................................... 36
CodiOication ..................................................................................................................................................... 37
Globalisation and colonial context ......................................................................................................... 37
Legal systems in Asia ................................................................................................................................... 37
Japan ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Page 3
, Global Legal History
MODULE 1: ROMAN LAW
Civitas
● Romans found in ⅞ BCE - 753 BCE
● Latin = partitions
● Etrucscans = rules
● Clans = gentes
● Clientes = voluntary
Early Republic
● The imperium was given to two Consuls, who held a mutual veto power
○ One-year term
○ Appointed by vote from among the patricians
● Other magistrates
○ Praetors
■ Judicial
○ Censors
■ Lands, census and votes
○ Aedils
■ Buildings and public works
○ Quaestors
■ Treasurer
○ Tribunes
■ Representatives
● The Law of the XII Tables (450 BCE) created the first Lex (Roman Law)
● In the Senate, Senators were appointed for life by the censors called Senatus Populusque
Romanus (S.P.Q.R). There were three legislative assemblies:
○ Comitia curiata or Curiate Assembly
■ they passed laws, elected consuls and tried judicial cases.
○ Comitia centuriata or Centuriate Assembly
■ the objective of this assembly was to decide on legislative, electoral, and judicial
purposes. The majority of votes in any century decided how that century voted.
■ This assembly could declare war or elect the highest-ranking roman magistrates.
○ Concilium plebis or Plebeian Council,
■ the principal assembly for the common people.
■ it functioned as a legislative and judicial assembly, where the plebeians passed
laws (plebiscites), elect their tribunals and try judicial cases.
Page 4
