Early History of Canadian Law

  • 1750 BCE

    The Code of Hammurabi

    A law system that consisted of nearly 300 laws carved in stone and had set punishments to meet the requirements of justice. These punishments were very harsh, example, the consequence for stealing food was death.
  • 1240 BCE

    Mosaic Law

    A law that was created by a man named Moses and was based on the first five books of the Hebrew bible. These laws were called the 10 commandments and was carved into 2 stones. The punishment for breaking this law were based on restitution, example, stolen goods were expected to be payed back.
  • 550 BCE

    Justinian Code

    This code was created by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the foundation of the Byzantine legal system for 900 years. This Code emphasised equality under the law and was 1000 years of Roman Law.
  • 1000

    Feudal System

    This system was created when France conquered England. This system was very corrupt because judges stared to overlook cases the lords had servants for which they would judge laws. This caused the system to become very inconstant.
  • 1215

    Magna Carta

    The Magna Carta is the first example of a king agreeing to written limits on his power created by his subjects after he abused his power. This document lead to the Rule of Law and the Habeas Corpus.
  • 1265

    Parliament and Statute Law

    The English nobility wanted power, so they challenged King Henry II. This lead to the first parliament and was used to pass laws. With the Parliament and Statute Law, people began writing these laws down for the public eye.
  • Napoleonic Code

    The Napoleonic Code (The french Civil Code), was created when Napoleon was in control of most of Europe. He was a peer to many citizens, therefore, the people of Europe followed him with pride and this lead to the Napoleonic Code