Justinian, << juhs TIHN ee uhn, >> Code was a collection of early Roman laws and legal principles. The collection is also called the Corpus Juris Civilis (Body of Civil Law). The code was drawn up by a committee of leading lawyers who were appointed by Emperor Justinian I in A.D. 528 (see Justinian I ). The code clarified Roman laws and legal principles and illustrated them by cases. The code has served as a basis for the law codes of many countries. It is recognized as one of the greatest Roman contributions to civilization.
The Justinian Code was divided into four parts. The Codex consisted of a collection of imperial statutes. The Digest contained interpretations of many trials and decisions by lawyers of the A.D. 100’s and 200’s. The Institutes formed a handbook for students and lawyers. The Novels were collections of legislation enacted after the publication of the Codex.
