In society, to have peace and order, you need to have a set of rules and regulations that all citizens need to follow. In these societies, a system of legal rules have been put into place. These laws are the guidelines that all citizens need to follow in order to maintain proper order. However, not all people follow the set laws, and when they don’t the legal system that has been set in place will tell what punishment will be given to the law breakers.
The first instances of set laws that were to be followed was instituted in Ancient Egypt. Near 1760 BC King Hammurabi instituted the Code of Hammurabi, which instituted penalties for certain unacceptable behaviors. This is what historians believe to be the first instance of legal rules to be in place. Over the course of history mankind has built upon those early laws and have today put in place a system of checks and balances in the legal system to ensure the rights of innocent people, and have the opportunity to have a trial in front of a jury of its peers.
Over time many important changes have taken place, with many advancements taking place during the time of the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages. All of these have events have helped shape today’s legal system. To learn more about the history of law and the legal system that we know, we have included a number of educational and informational resources. Please feel free to review and share this information with others looking for information. We hope this collection will provide you with information about the interesting history of law.
- Law in Ancient Egypt
- Ancient Egyptian Law
- Documents of Ancient Egyptian Law
- Ancient Legal Texts
- Development of the Chinese Legal System
- Roman Legal Tradition
- Ancient Roman Legal Systems
- The Twelve Tables of Roman Law
- Legal System of the Roman Empire
- Overview of the Roman Legal System
- Law and Order in the Middle Ages
- Breaking the Law in the Middle Ages
- Middle Ages Justice and Law
- Law in the Middle Ages
- Italian law
- Italian citizenship by descent
- Medieval Law
- Common Law and Civil Law Traditions
- Cornell Common Law Information
- What is the Civil Law?
- A Primer on the Civil Law System
- What is the Difference Between Common Law and Civil Law?
- Time Line of Western Legal History
- World Legal History Time Table
- History of Law Time Line
- American Legal History Time Line
- Law and History Resources
- The Making of Modern Law
- Current Federal Laws
- Kid’s Law Companion
- Legal Information Institute
- Law and Legal Related Websites for Kids and Teens
By Ted Burgess
Google