Thelaw ofEurope refers to the legal systems of Europe. Europe saw the birth of both theRoman Empire and theBritish Empire, which form the basis of the two dominant forms of legal system of private law,civil andcommon law.

The law of Europe has a diverse history.Roman law underwent majorcodification in theCorpus Juris Civilis of EmperorJustinian, as later developed through theMiddle Ages by medieval legal scholars. InMedievalEngland, judges retained greater power than their continental counterparts and began to develop a body of precedent. Originally civil law was one common legal system in much ofEurope, but with the rise ofnationalism in the 17th centuryNordic countries and around the time of theFrench Revolution, it became fractured into separate national systems. This change was brought about by the development of separate nationalcodes, of which the FrenchNapoleonic Code, theAustrian Code,German andSwiss codes were the most influential. Around this time civil law incorporated many ideas associated with theEnlightenment. TheEuropean Union's Law is based on a codified set of laws, laid down in theTreaties. Law in the EU is however mixed with precedent in case law of theEuropean Court of Justice. In accordance with its history, the interpretation of European law relies less on policy considerations than U.S. law.^[1]

• Council of Europe
• European Union law
• European Convention on Human Rights

• Legal systems of the world