If we do not count constitutions, codifications are the most important texts of a nation’s legal system, at least in those countries which have codifications. Sometimes, a code may even surpass the constitution as a national symbol. Thus, since 1789, France has had so many regime changes and subsequent new constitutions that Jean Carbonnier has called Napoleon’s 1804 Civil Code the true constitution of France. The Code, not the regularly changing constitutions, assured the stability of French law and society. One may wonder whether this still applies today, given that the current constitution, that of the Fifth Republic, already dates from 1958 and seems to have given France some stability. Nevertheless, the main point stands: codifications are extremely important. Therefore, there is no lack of studies on codification. However, this does not mean that there is no need for further research on this topic, as we have to reevaluate existing research …
Dirk Heirbaut, Reflections on Codification History, Gdańskie Studia Prawnicze, (1(70)/2026), 33-48.
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