Glossary
Civil law system
civil-law
A legal tradition organised around comprehensive written codes.
In more detail
Derived from Roman law and shaped by the Napoleonic and German codifications, civil-law systems treat legislation as the primary source and judicial decisions as persuasive rather than binding. Judges apply and interpret the code, and procedure is typically more inquisitorial than adversarial.
Related terms
- common-law-system
- codification
See how this applies to you
Definitions are general. How a term operates depends on the jurisdiction you are in.