ROMAN LAW

This term, in a general sense, comprehends all the laws which prevailed among the Romans, without regard to the time of their origin, including the collections of Justinian. In a more restricted sense, the Germans understand by this term merely the law of Justinian, as adopted by them. Mackeld. Rom. Law. In England and America, it appears to be customary to use the phrase, Indifferently with “the civil law,” to designate the whole system of Roman jurisprudence, including the Corpus Juris Civilis; or, if any distinction is drawn, the expression “civil law” denotes the system of jurisprudence obtaining in those countries of continental Europe which have derived their juridical notions and principles from the Justinian collection, while “Roman law” is reserved as the proper appellation of the body of law developed under the government of Rome from the earliest times to the fall of the empire.