List of ancient legal codes


The legal code was a common feature of the legal systems of the ancient Middle East. The Sumerian Code of Ur-Nammu, then the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi, are amongst the earliest originating in the Fertile Crescent. In the Roman empire, a number of codifications were developed, such as the Twelve Tables of Roman law and the Corpus Juris Civilis of Justinian, also known as the Justinian Code. In ancient China, the first comprehensive criminal code was the Tang Code, created in 624 CE in the Tang Dynasty. In India, the Edicts of Ashoka were followed by the Law of Manu.
The following is a list of ancient legal codes in chronological order: