The Civil Law in Spain and Spanish-America

A thorough account of Spanish civil law and its influence. Originally published: Washington, D.C.: W.H. Lowdermilk & Co., 1900. xix, 672 pp. Spain has an extraordinarily rich legal history, one that reflects Roman, Gothic, Arabic, Papal, Holy Roman and French influences. It is equally notable for its innovative and progressive nature. It was the first nation to produce a published commercial code. Aragon possessed and exercised a writ of habeas corpus during the medieval era. Medieval Spanish law witnessed the invention of democratic principles that would form the basis of the Republic of Iceland, the Magna Charta and the American Declaration of Independence. And as the first great colonial power, Spain exported its legal ideas to the New World. This had a profound influence on the history of most Latin American nations and the Philippines. The study of Spanish and Spanish-influenced law has much to offer the student of legal history. Walton facilitates this study through lucid historical introductions, notes and translations of rare source materials.