Codification

Codification organizes legal rules into a structured legislative text, often replacing scattered statutes, customs, or judge-made doctrines. It is central to civil-law systems, where codes guide interpretation and legal education, though courts and scholarship still shape meaning. Swiss private law is strongly codified, while federalism and specialized legislation add layers outside the major codes. Comparatively, codification contrasts with common-law reliance on precedent but never eliminates interpretation, gaps, or the need to adapt legal concepts to social and technological change.