Code and statute
From Civil law (code) and common law (statute)
Basic ideas
What it means
A civil-law code is a complete, ordered statement of a whole area of law, such as the civil code or the criminal code. A common-law statute is a single Act that deals with a particular problem, usually on top of an existing body of case law.
Why it travels badly
A civil-law judge begins with the code and reasons from its general principles. A common-law judge begins with the case law and uses the statute where it applies. In the United States, 'the Code' usually means a tidy arrangement of existing statutes by subject, not a code in the civil-law sense.
How other systems say it
Code civil (1804)
The model for many codes: short, general articles, organised by subject, meant to be read as a whole.
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB)
A more abstract and technical code, with a general part that applies to all the rest.
Acts of Parliament
Statutes are named and dated separately. Some statutes, such as the Sale of Goods Act 1979, bring together earlier case law, but there is no general civil code.
United States
United States Code and uniform codes
The US Code arranges federal statutes by subject. The Uniform Commercial Code is a model law that each state adopts.
Tip for translators and students
Translate 'code' as a code only if the text is truly a systematic code. For a US 'code' say 'compilation of statutes'.
Related: Stare decisis and jurisprudence constante, Jurisprudence, Doctrine
Updated October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
TheLawToKnow Tools’s glossary is an educational overview of the main differences between legal systems. It is not legal advice.
