CIVIL AND CRIMINAL RULES OF THE BABYLONIAN LAW

Abstract

By its age and principles, Babylonian law has drawn attention of all epochs, laying at the basis of scientific development of modern law. The regulation, more than 4000 years ago, of property, family, obligations, public administration, succession, probation principle, represents the proof that the institutions which today regulate these aspects, have been a preoccupation for mankind ever since its beginning. Even if penalties were distributed depending on social status, a progressive element is represented by the fact that the act could only be punished if it met the condition of intent. The legal monument of this system of law, Hammurabi Code, has an important signification by the fact that upon that date, the law and the judges aimed at ensuring life to citizens and to guarantee them certain rights, considerably more than other countries in the epoch. It is striking that in antiquity, the right of succession lies all the children regardless of the number of marriages and criminal aspect beyond class character, crimes regulation retained the substance, the changes incurred on penalties take into account the evolution of human rights, as how malpractice mutilation was replaced by pecuniary or administrative penalty.