Question

In 100 to 150 words, explain the purpose of the Justinian Code.

Answer 1

Answer:

The Justinian Code is an Eastern Roman source of Roman law from late antiquity. The text was ready on April 7, 529. The composition of the Code was made due to the legal interest of Emperor Justinian. Together with other legal texts, this code was included in the so-called Corpus Iuris Civilis in the sixth century.

The Code was soon revised in 534, with the addition of the Digests (anthology of writings of important lawyers such as Ulpian and Papinian) and the Institutes (an introductory textbook for the law) to the Corpus Iuris Civilis.  

The Justinian Code consisted of a collection of older imperial ordinances (constitutiones) and especially scripts, which were mainly valid at the time of the earlier emperor Hadrian (early 2nd century). These were obtained from the Theodosianus Code (from Theodosius II) and some regulations that were described in private collections of imperial constitutions, such as the Gregorian Code and the Hermogenian Code.

The Justinian Code applied directly and continuously until 1946 in various states and countries that previously belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire. Not only in the East, but also in the West, the creation of Justinian by legal scholars has been given centuries of authority, even in areas that had previously fallen outside the sphere of Roman influence.

Answer 2

 At its simplest, the purpose Justinian had in mind was to organize the laws in the Byzantine Empire. It was a mammoth task, as you might well imagine. In doing this, the laws were put down in writing, presumably some old laws that had outlived their usefulness were discarded, and laws were enacted that dealt with situations that were contemporary at the time or could be foreseen as necessary for future generations.