Latest news with #Napoleoniccode
Local France
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Local France
Inside France: Taxi strikes, translation fails and Napoleon's code
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Boiling point Sometimes in France you get disputes that simmer away in the background for ages and then suddenly erupt onto the national stage. Last year's farmer protests were one example - suddenly going from turning village signposts upside down to nationwide roadblocks and calls to 'besiege Paris' - and this week's taxi protests are another. Taxi drivers have been protesting for more than a year about plans to lower the fares they can charge for medical transport; taking patients to and from medical appointments in trips that are reimbursed by the state . This week, however, their grievances exploded into the public consciousness via a series of rolling roadblocks, blockades of sites like airports and highly photogenic confrontations with police . PM François Bayrou has now said he will meet with them to discuss their grievances. At the opposite end of the spectrum are strikes that are billed as likely to cause absolute mayhem, and end up being quite underwhelming. These are often public sector strikes, especially transport strikes, which are talked up in advance by union chiefs - predicting une semaine noire is a standard part of the negotiating process. There are a whole group of strike/protest soothsayers in France who try to predict where the next disruption will come from, but it's far from a precise science, although there are signs you can learn to read . READ ALSO How I learned to stop worrying and love French strikes Advertisement Talking France In the latest episode of the Talking France podcast we discuss hospital waiting times, the UK-EU reset and the best place to buy a second home in France (plus Smurfs). Listen here or on the link below. Napoleon is complex Here at The Local we're used to slightly left-field questions from readers, but this one was unusual: Why does France still have the Napoleonic Code? The answer is that it doesn't, really - the civil law code introduced by Napoleon in 1804 has in many areas been revised or rewritten, or superceded by more recent laws or international treaties like the European Convention on Human Rights. Some parts of it remain in place, however, especially France's strict laws on inheritance rights (which, it turned out, this reader was referring to) which forbid parents from disinheriting their children and give kids equal rights to a parental estate, regardless of where they are in the birth order. At the time this was quite radical, moving away from the previous 'oldest son inherits all' system, and in fact there are several parts of the Napoleonic code that remain the basis for modern French law. In many areas, however, the Napoleonic code reversed laws passed after the French Revolution. But to modern sensibilities, it was the legal changes of the Revolution that seem more palatable; legalising homosexuality, outlawing slavery, giving women legal and property rights. Even the machine that became the symbol of the nightmare that the Revolution descended into was introduced for humanitarian reasons. The guillotine was intended as a humane method of execution and its introduction was part of a legal code that ended barbaric practices like boiling people to death or having them torn apart by horses and ensured a single execution method for all, regardless of class. It also ended the practice of confiscating property from the families of executed criminals. Advertisement Offaly unfortunate And is this France's least appetisingly named restaurant? Paris restaurant Bowel Kitchen. Photo: The Local A close look at the menu reveals it serves various types of Bowls, so I am persuaded that its name is just an extremely unfortunate spelling mistake. Although I'm not confident enough to back when it's open and try its cuisine (if anyone has eaten at the Bowel Kitchen, do get in touch and tell me what it was like!) Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
Local France
22-05-2025
- General
- Local France
Is the Napoleonic Code really still in force in France?
If you are looking to move to France - or you are seeking out the warnings and advice of foreigners already living here - you might be cautioned that "France still has the Napoleonic code in place". This warning may conjure up images of a person being sent to a remote island as punishment, but the Napoleonic code is not as antiquated as it might sound. In fact, much of the original code is still in use today, though of course there have been many amendments over the years. What is the Napoleonic code? The Napoleonic code is also known as the Code Civile des Français, and it was enacted in 1804, just a few years after Napoleon Bonaparte took power. It was not the world's first civil law system, but it was one of the most influential - and remains an influence on the laws of modern France and many other countries. Advertisement After taking power, Napoleon took it upon himself to deal with the patchy mess that was France's legal system. Prior to the Revolution, there was no secular, civil code covering the entire territory. Instead, there were feudal laws that differed from place to place, while the church enforced rules related to family, marriage and personal behaviour. During the Revolution, the feudal system and the Catholic church were stripped of much of their power in France, with many of their previous rules repealed. For example, homosexuality was decriminalised and slavery outlawed. Napoleon commissioned four jurists to draft the legal code, and he headed up the committee as chairman. The final version of 1804 was encompassed four 'books' ( livres ), covering 'people', 'property', 'different manners of acquiring property', and 'procedure' (the latter was eventually withdrawn). The Napoleonic code may be seen as modern and progressive in some ways - as it strengthened secularism and created a concept of equal rights enshrined by the law (for men). However, it was very patriarchal, walking back much of the progress women made during the Revolution and making them ' minors ' under the law. According to Vie-Publique , it "deprived women of legal rights, making them subject to the authority of their father and husband." These days, although the framework of the Napoleonic code remains in place, many parts have been either repealed or modified. Much if it has also been superceded by more recent domestic laws or international protocols such as the European Convention on Human Rights. During the 20th century, large segments of the civil law were reformed and rewritten to better reflect modern France. Advertisement For example, the loi 85-1372 of December 1985 reformed part of the 'Napoleonic code', granting spouses "joint management of the community life" and removing any references to 'husband or wife' to emphasise equality of spouses. You can actually read through the 'Code Civile' that is currently active on the LegiFrance website. So why do people still warn about the 'Napoleonic code'? If someone warns you about this it's likely that they're talking about French rules about inheritance that came in via the Napoleonic code, and which remain in effect today (with some modernising portions). While the Napoleonic code in its original form was kind of an attempt at marrying the traditional ideas of the Ancien Régime with the liberalism of the Revolution, Napoleon's approach to inheritance was a stark move away from the feudal system. Advertisement Previously, the estate would be passed down to the oldest male heir. This created the tradition of the second son joining the military, and then the third son joining the clergy (hence the term cadet for younger children). Napoleonic law made legitimate children equal in their right to the same portion of the parents' estate. There was a distinction for 'illegitimate' children, but this was amended in the 1970s. Today, the same idea is applied in French law - it is illegal to disinherit children, and they are all entitled to a portion of the estate. This applies to French people and also foreign residents or property owners - and it frequently causes consternation among foreigners as France is one of very few countries to have this system. READ MORE: Death and taxes: What you need to know about estate planning in France Napoleon's influence is still visible in many aspects of French life, from the invention of the lycée (secondary school) system to the Legion of Honor ( Légion d'honneur ). If you plan on applying for French citizenship (or if you're just interested) you can study up on his contributions to France in the Livret du Citoyen. READ MORE: What is France's 'Livret du Citoyen' and why might it be vital to you
