Napoleonic Code Still Governs Billions Across 120 Jurisdictions

The Napoleonic Code, introduced by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804 and consisting of 2,281 articles, is the essential legal foundation for approximately 120 jurisdictions worldwide, notably across Europe (with Britain as an exception), Latin America, and certain regions of Africa and the Middle East. Before its establishment, France did not have a cohesive legal system. The French Revolution of 1789 aimed for legal reform, but advancements were delayed until Napoleon formed a commission in 1800 to create the code. It abolished feudal privileges, incorporated Enlightenment ideals, and established a separation between church and state, though it predominantly benefited men. Following Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, many nations continued to use it for its advantages in trade. The code has also impacted legal frameworks in Louisiana, Quebec, South America, the Ottoman Empire, and Egypt.