Codification in Venezuela

Abstract

The codification of Civil Law in Venezuela is an ongoing process dating back to the first half of the nineteenth century. However, the first Venezuelan Civil Code was only passed in the second half on that century. The main structure of the Civil Code, amended as of 1982, remains very much the same as the earlier codes. However, a significant process of decodification has taken place particularly on family law matters. Obligations, contracts, torts, property, wills and estates continue to be subject to the Civil Code. Commercial laws are mostly reunited in the Commercial Code, although significant parts thereof are now governed by special legislation. Private International Law is codified in a special law, but the Civil Code still contains some scattered provisions on the matter. True to its origins, the Venezuelan Civil Code continues to be the main pillar of Private Law legislation. All Private Law still revolves around the provisions of the Civil Code; it constitutes the glue that keeps the unity of the system of Venezuelan Private Law legislation.