Timeline: Law

Timeline

2350 BCE
First code of laws by Urukagina, king of Lagash.
c. 2100 BCE - c. 2050 BCE
The Code of Ur-Nammu (the oldest extant code of laws) is written.
c. 1772 BCE
The Code of Hammurabi: One of the earliest codes of law in the world.
c. 621 BCE
Draco produces a new law code in Athens.
450 BCE
The laws of the 'Twelve Tables', the basis of Roman law, are compiled.
c. 450 BCE
The Law Code of Gortyn is written.
c. 242 BCE
Special magistrates (praetor peregrinus) begin to oversee legal disputes concerning non-Roman citizens.
131 CE
The Praetor's Edict is first codified, an annual pronouncement on alterations to Roman law.
212 CE
Caracalla's edict grants Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the Roman Empire.
c. 292 CE
The 'Codex Gregorianus' is compiled, a collection of summaries of Roman legal documents.
295 CE
The 'Codex Hermogenianus' is compiled, a collection of summaries of Roman legal documents.
c. 430 CE - 439 CE
The 'Theodosian Code', a collection of over 2,700 Roman laws is compiled.
528 CE - 534 CE
The 'Codex Iustinianus' is compiled, a collection of summaries of Roman legal documents.
533 CE
The 'Digest' part of the 'Corpus Iuris Civilus' is composed and summarises over 2000 Roman legal documents.
6 Nov 1217 CE
The Charter of the Forest re-establishes the rights of free men to access the areas in England previously defined as "royal forest" and including not only forests but grasslands and wetlands whose use was restricted to the aristocracy. The charter opened these lands to all free men of England, following the reforms of the Magna Carta, and remained in effect until repealed in 1971, becoming the longest charter in force in English history.
9 Mar 1562 CE
Kissing in public is banned in Naples, Italy with the "offense" punishable by death. The law was passed to stop the spread of plague but was ineffective.
22 Mar 1630 CE
The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws gambling, making it illegal to possess cards, dice, or gaming tables "under pain of punishment" to encourage proper behavior among the colonists reflecting their status as God's chosen. They would also ban the celebration of Christmas, dancing, and many other festivals and activities.
27 Jun 1652 CE
The first speed limit in North America is enacted in New Amsterdam (present-day New York) prohibiting the driving of carts, sleighs, or wagons at a gallop with a fine set at two pounds Flemish, equal to around $50-$150 dollars today.
10 Apr 1710 CE
The Statute of Anne goes into effect in Great Britain, the first British statute for copyright, establishing legal protection for creators of original works, notably authors, to prevent the unauthorized reprinting of books without compensation to writers and publishers.
26 Mar 1752 CE
The Murder Act is passed into law by the British Parliament to deter the act of murder by mandating that those convicted of the crime be executed within two days of sentencing, denied burial, and their bodies were to be either dissected or hung in chains until they rotted.
18 Jul 1872 CE
The Ballot Act of 1872 is passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom introducing the requirement that elections be held by secret ballot and replacing the old electoral system.
23 Dec 1919 CE
The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 is given royal assent in the United Kingdom, allowing women to become lawyers, sit on juries, and receive degrees.
26 Nov 1949 CE
The Constitution of India is ratified by the Constituent Assembly of India and is the longest written national constitution in the world with 448 articles, 12 schedules, 5 appendices, and approximately 146,000 words in its English-language translation. The original document was handwritten by Constituent Assembly Chairman Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
13 Jun 1966 CE
The US Supreme Court rules on Miranda v. Arizona, establishing the law that police must inform suspects of their constitutional rights upon arrest, thereby instituting the Miranda Rights.