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Hammurabi’s Code
English Common Law
Religion
Law of Draco
Justinian’s Code
Napoleonic Code
Magna Carta
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Babylonia 1760 B.C
Consisted of harsh penalties
People presumed innocent
The First written set of laws
“Eye for an Eye”
◦ What does that mean to you?
◦ Do you agree with this?
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England
Based on court decisions rather than on a
legal code
Uses precedent (stare decisis)
◦ Legal opinions based on previous rulings
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Settlers brought these laws over when they
came to North America during the 1600s and
1700s
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Hebrew tradition, Around 1200 B.C.
Ten Commandments
◦ Rules that everyone is supposed to follow in order
to live a moral life
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Moral rules
What are some morals we get from the Bible/10
Commandments?
Separation of church and state?
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Athens, Greece 620 BC
Very chaotic society, martial law was needed
Codified law in Athens
Developed the idea of manslaughter/intent
Marked with extreme cruelty as punishments
Punishment of deaths for most offenses
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Byzantine Empire 533 AD
Took all the laws of the Roman Empire and
compiled them into a body of rules
Simplified Roman Law
A set punishment for each crime
Influenced Napoleonic Code
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France 1800s
Updated version of Justinian’s Code
Better version, we used this as our example
No mitigating circumstances
Louisiana’s laws are still based on the
Napoleonic Code
◦ Used in Louisiana; why?
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England 1215 AD
Nobles forced King John to sign this
document
Protected the nobles’ privileges and authority
Granted rights to landholders
Where have we heard these before?
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Equal treatment under the law
No one would be above the law
Right to a jury trial
Due Process