French law
Gallic legal system
French law refers to the legal system of France, which is based on civil law principles codified primarily in the Napoleonic Code of 1804.
Unlike common law systems that rely heavily on judicial precedent, French law emphasizes comprehensive written statutes and codes that judges interpret and apply.
The term appears in legal scholarship, international comparisons, and discussions of European Union law, where French legal traditions have been influential.
The contract was governed by French law.
- codificationOrganizing rules into system
- Napoleonic CodeFrench civil law system
- civil codeCodified private law system
- constitutionInherent physical or structural makeup
- human rightsInalienable personal freedoms
criminal procedure · public administration · Montesquieu · cassation · court of appeal · penal code · judiciary · treaties · marriage contracts · separation of powers · obligations · diplomatic immunity · extradition laws · prosecution · legal proceedings · trade regulations · divorce proceedings · Bastille
French lawcommon law
Jurisprudence from judicial decisions
English common law · case law · British law · Islamic law · tribal law
French lawEnglish law
Britain's judicial system
British law · lawlessness · American law · anarchy · German law