Can we see the influence of the French Revolution anywhere in modern legal systems?

by asoiahats

Specifically, I'd like to know if there are any laws still on the books that can be traced back to some aspect of the Revolution. I'm sure that most examples are going to be from France, but I would like to know if it had any impact on British Common Law as well.

inthearena

Even in places where the Napoleonic Code is not in force directly (as it is in France, albeit with lots of amendments and judicial re-interpretations), because of French influence (Imperialistic or otherwise) it has had huge impact.

For example, in the middle east, many of the legal frameworks are a uneasy combination of Sharia and various Napoleonic concepts. Vietnam, also being under French control, has a mixture of influences including the Napoleonic code. In terms of Common Law, a good example would be law in Quebec which until 1994 (IIRC) was a mix of common law and napoleonic code. Louisiana, not surprisingly, has also had French influence, and has several laws around the practice of law that are divergent from the other 49 states due to the influence of Napoleonic Code.