Variety of the Civil Law Context

Abstract

This chapter explores the variety of civil law. Civil law is not limited simply to Germany and France. However, categorizing the remaining continental European states quickly turns to be problematic and increasingly becomes difficult with more detailed examination. If one starts by looking at Western Europe countries alone, their standard classification as following either German or French legal thought is at least of some limited assistance. However, this kind of simple solution is not appropriate for Eastern Europe. Moreover, Northern European states are traditionally considered an independent group, and reveal some features which distinguish them from the overall climate of civil law legal thought. Finally, civilian legal thought does not end at the geographical borders of Europe. The law of Latin America, despite some unique features, is quite akin to that of Western Europe.