240 likes | 542 Views
Latin American Law. Medieval law > Canon law > Law merchant. Last updated 07 Sep 11. Classic Roman Law (100AD - 300 AD). Austrian Civil Law (1812). French Civil Code (1804). German Civil Code (1900). Swiss Civil Code (1907). Louisiana Civil Code (1808). Japanese Civil Code
E N D
Latin American Law Medieval law> Canon law> Law merchant Last updated 07 Sep 11
Classic Roman Law (100AD - 300 AD) Austrian Civil Law (1812) French Civil Code (1804) German Civil Code (1900) Swiss Civil Code (1907) Louisiana Civil Code (1808) Japanese Civil Code (early 1900s) Italian Civil Code (1942) Turkish Civil Code(1926) US Law
Is common law or civil law more like Roman law? Precedents Forms of action (remedies) Stages: writ / proof Proof left to layperson Law / equity distinction
Value of knowing other legal systems • Model for borrowing • Gain perspective • Discover truths • Impose / power
Consideration X promises Y • to transport 10 flasks of wine for Y and • to marry his daughter Y makes no promise in return Is X bound on his promises? • Roman law • Canon law • Law merchant
Roman law • Nuda pactio obligationem non parit • A naked agreement [without consideration] does not create an obligation. Dig. 2.14.7.4. • Ex nudo pacto non oritur actio. No action arises on a contract without a consideration. • Stipulatio • formal contract by which promisor (and only promisor) becomes bound • Sixth century AD: exclusively written
Canon law • Pacta, quantumcunque nuda, servanda sunt • Agreements, even naked ones, must be kept (Pope Gregory 1234) • Pacta sunt servanda - agreements must be kept • "Every treaty in force is binding upon the parties to it and must be performed by them in good faith.“ Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, Art 26 Keith Orgel: Church jurisdiction?
Law merchant • Lex mercatoria: abandoned consideration requirement • Customs of merchants • Encourage commerce • Specialized courts / procedure • UCC 2-204: An offer by a merchant to buy or sell goods in a signed record that [assures] it will be held open is not revocable, for lack of consideration … Jim Rodden: what is fairness?
Canon law … Trevor Ostbye: History / aspects of Roman law?
Canon law Roman law Bible Natural law Papal decretals Canons of church councils • Corpus iuris canonici • (marriage, succession, crimes) • Concordantia discordantium canonum (Decretum) , compiled by Gratian, 1140 • Decretals of later popes (Boniface VIII, Clement V, John XXII) Gratian, Father of the Canon Law. “He associated the Scriptures with natural law, a changeless source of law written on our hearts by God” • Canonists - commentators • Academics • Scholastic method
Canon law persistence • Argentina civil code: denied non-Catholics the right to marry, did not allow divorce (same in Chile, Brazil) • Uruguay civil code: husband can seek a divorce if his wife commits adultery, but not vice versa. Times are changing • Argentina Law No. 23,179 (1985): women equality regarding joint custody, equal rights for children born out of wedlock. • El Salvador (2004): ban common practice requiring women to submit to pregnancy test to work. • Same-sex unions: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Uruguay Keith Orgel: Why is LatAm less boundby religion compared to US?
Pelligrini v. Italy (ECHR 2001) National law vs. church law
Lex Mercatoria ... Trevor Ostbye: why not Roman law? Jim Rodden: role of scholar in each?
Law Merchant Genoa Venice Needs of merchants Pisa Barcelona Commercial customs Amalfi Commercial codes (ex acqueo et bono) • Merchant tribunals • Expert judges • Expeditious procedures • Equal treatment to outsiders
Law merchant E-commerce law Trevor Ostbye: how has Ebay created law merchant / good or bad?
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield • British judge, House of Lords • Father of “English commercial law” • Based on Roman and law merchant • Defined principles of commercial law • So consider origins of UCC • “trade usage” / “just price” / “good faith” • Karl Llewellyn / Soia Mentschikoff Lord Mansfield(1705-1793) Trevor Ostbye:Why not rely on common law?
Delaware (corporate law) NCBusinessCourt.net Venice (law merchant) Jim Rodden: how many US states have business courts? But where did corporate structure come from?
Johannes Andreae, Sarcophagus, Bologna
Law merchant LatAm commercial law Spain also opened "sea councils" in cities like Mexico and Lima to solve maritime and commercial controversies over its conquered territories. Later, during independence, Latin America countries developed their own commercial codes, massively influenced by the medieval Law Merchant. Joel
The online Law Merchant’s ability to continue as the primary regulating force in the online marketplace will be challenged and, I predict, come to an end. Lauren Connell Law merchant E-commerce law I find it unsurprising that merchants would develop self-governing laws in Medieval times or in the present day. Lauren Connell
Canon law and law merchantin Panama Family law / death penalty / Separation of civil and commercial law Joel de León