Civil Code of Lower Canada

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Civil Code of Lower Canada was the civil code in force in Lower Canada from July 1, 1866 to June 30, 1867 and in Quebec from July 1, 1867 to December 31, 1993. The Code was based on the Napoleonic code and replaced a mixture of French law and English law.

The revision of the Civil Code of Lower Canada commenced in 1955 and eventually led to its passing of a new civil code on December 18, 1991 and coming in effect of the Civil Code of Quebec on January 1, 1994. Except for certain parts of the book on the Law of the Family which were adopted by the National Assembly of Quebec in the 1980s, the Civil Code of Quebec came into effect on January 1, 1994.

The following laws and ordinances governed over Lower Canada before the introduction of the Civil Code of Lower Canada:

  • Coutume de Paris
  • le droit français de la métropole (mix of royal legislation, royal ordinances ("ordonnances royales"), canon law, marriage and roman law for the law of obligations (les obligations)
  • les ordonnances des intendants (Royal Intendant ordinances)
  • les arrêts de règlement du Conseil souverain