Le Chapelier Law

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Le Chapelier Law (French: Loi Le Chapelier) was a piece of legislation passed by the National Assembly during the first phase of the French Revolution (June 14, 1791), banning guilds as the early version of trade unions - as well as compagnonnage and the right to strike, and proclaiming free enterprise as the norm. It was advocated and drafted by Isaac René Guy le Chapelier.

Its promulgation enraged the sans-culottes, who called for an end to the National Assembly, which nonetheless continued through the second phase of the Revolution.

The law was annulled on May 25, 1864, through a law passed by the Émile Ollivier government, one which reinstaed the right to associate and the right to strike.

[edit] External links

• Translated text
• (French) La force de l'histoire