THE COMMON LAW AND CIVIL LAW TRADITIONS
What is the difference between the civil law and common law legal traditions What is the legal tradition in Canada?
The civil-law tradition
Unlike common-law courts, courts in a civil-law system first look to a civil code, then refer to previous decisions to see if they're consistent.
Quebec is the only province with a civil code, which is based on the French Code Napoléon (Napoleonic Code).
The rest of Canada uses the common law.
- The basic divisions in the U.S. legal system are the criminal, civil, and administrative.
The common law tradition emerged in England during the Middle Ages and was applied within British colonies across continents. The civil law tradition developed in continental Europe at the same time and was applied in the colonies of European impe- rial powers such as Spain and Portugal.