Legal Definitions - Justinian Code

The Justinian Code is a collection of imperial constitutions that were drawn up by a commission of ten people appointed by Justinian, a Roman emperor. It was published in A.D. 529 and replaced all prior imperial law. The second version of the code, published in A.D. 534, is the one that is commonly referred to as the Justinian Code today.

The code contains the imperial constitutions of the Gregorian, Hermogenian, and Theodosian Codes, along with later legislation, revised and harmonized into one systematic whole. It deals with ecclesiastical law, criminal law, administrative law, and private law.

For example, if someone committed a crime, the Justinian Code would provide guidelines for how they should be punished. It also provided rules for how property should be inherited and how contracts should be enforced.

The Justinian Code was an important step in the development of modern legal systems. It helped to standardize laws across the Roman Empire and provided a foundation for future legal codes.