Presented to you through Paradigm Publishing Services

Stanford University Press

Visit our Partner Page See all our books
book: The Civil Law Tradition
Book
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

The Civil Law Tradition

An Introduction to the Legal Systems of Europe and Latin America, Fourth Edition
  • and
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2018

About this book

Designed for the general reader and students of law, this is a concise history and analysis of the civil law tradition, which is dominant in most of Europe, all of Latin America, and many parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The fourth edition is fully updated to include the latest developments in the field and to correct and update historical details gleaned from newly-published research on Roman and Medieval law. In the past ten years, the legal profession has changed radically, with the growing international ubiquity of large law firms operating across borders (which was previously a uniquely American phenomenon). This new edition updates the book from the post-Soviet era to ongoing current issues, including Brexit and the status of the European Union. It discusses how civil law codes have shifted in some countries to adapt to modern and changing ideologies and also includes brand-new material on legal education, which is of central importance to the legal profession today.

Author / Editor information

John Henry Merryman (1920–2015) was the Nelson Bowman Sweitzer and Marie B. Sweitzer Professor of Law, Emeritus at Stanford University. Rogelio Pérez-Perdomo is a law professor at the Universidad Metropolitana, Caracas.

Reviews

"Of value both to the undergraduate and graduate student of comparative politics, as well as the law student interested in comparative law. . . . A most useful introduction."—Social Science Quarterly --- "The most readable and succinct account of the origins, the development, and the philosophy of the civil law. . . . Written for those unfamiliar with the study of comparative law and legal systems, the book distinguishes the civil law tradition from that of the common law tradition of the English speaking countries. . ."—Houston Law Review --- PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: "This little book is not only readable—a feat in itself—but also insightful and provocative in its treatment of the folklore and practice of the civil law. . . . A lively introduction to civil law thinking with its historical, political, and social dimensions."—The American Journal of Comparative Law

Topics

  • Publicly Available

    Frontmatter

    i
    Download PDF
  • Publicly Available

    Contents

    vii
    Download PDF
  • Publicly Available

    Preface to the Fourth Edition

    ix
    Download PDF
  • Publicly Available

    Preface to the Origina l Edition

    xi
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    I. Two Legal Traditions

    1
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    II. Roman Civil Law, Canon Law, and Commercial Law

    6
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    III. The Revolution

    15
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    IV. The Sources of Law

    20
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    V. Codes and Codification

    27
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    VI. Judges

    34
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    VII. The Interpretation of Statutes

    39
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    VIII. Certainty and Equity

    48
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    IX. Scholars and Legal Education

    57
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    X. Legal Science

    63
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XI. The General Part

    70
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XII. The Legal Process

    82
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XIII. The Division of Jurisdiction

    88
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XIV. Legal Categories

    93
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XV. The Legal Professions

    104
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XVI. Civil Procedure

    114
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XVII. Criminal Procedure

    127
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XVIII. Constitutional Review

    136
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XIX. Perspectives

    145
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    XX. The Future of the Civil Law Tradition

    155
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    Recommended Readings

    165
    Download PDF
  • Requires Authentication Unlicensed
    Licensed

    Index

    171
    Download PDF

Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
September 7, 2020
eBook ISBN:
9781503607552
Edition:
4th edition
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
192
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503607552
eBook ISBN: 9781503607552
Keywords for this book
Comparative law; European and Latin American law; Legal cultures
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
Downloaded on 2.4.2026 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781503607552/html
Scroll to top button