Six Codes


Six Codes, refers to the six main legal codes that make up the main body of law in Japan, South Korea, and the Republic of China. Sometimes, the term is also used to describe the six major areas of law. Furthermore, it may refer to all or part of a collection of statutes.
Republic of China
1Constitution
日本国憲法
Nippon-koku-kenpō		Constitution
대한민국 헌법
大韓民國憲法
Daehan-minguk Heon-beop		Constitution
中華民國憲法
Zhōnghuá Mínguó Xiànfǎ
Tiong-hoâ Bîn-kok Hiàn-hoat
Chûng-fà Mìn-koet Hién-fap
2Civil Code
民法
Minpō		Civil Code
민법
民法
Min-beop		Civil Code
民法
Mínfǎ
Bîn-hoat
Mìn-fap
3Code of Civil Procedure
民事訴訟法
Minji-soshō-hō		Code of Civil Procedure
민사소송법
民事訴訟法
Minsa-sosong-beop		Code of Civil Procedure
民事訴訟法
Mínshìsùsòngfǎ
Bîn-sū Sò͘-siōng-hoat
Mìn-sṳ Su-siung-fap
4Criminal Code
刑法
Keihō		Criminal Code
형법
刑法
Hyeong-beop		Criminal Code
刑法
Xíngfǎ
Hêng-hoat
Hìn-fap
5Code of Criminal Procedure
刑事訴訟法
Keiji-soshō-hō		Code of Criminal Procedure
형사소송법
刑事訴訟法
Hyeongsa-sosong-beop		Code of Criminal Procedure
刑事訴訟法
Xíngshìsùsòngfǎ
Hêng-sū Sò͘-siōng-hoat
Hìn-sṳ Su-siung-fap
6Commercial Code
商法
Shōhō		Commercial Code
상법
商法
Sang-beop		Administrative laws
行政法規
Xíngzhèngfǎguī
Hêng-chèng Hoat-kui
Hàng-chṳn Fap-kûi

The word roppō is a slightly adapted form of the word used in Japanese to describe the Napoleonic Code when it was brought over during the early Meiji period. Although, French Emperor Napoleon enacted five major codes, which were, in Japanese, altogether metonymically referred to as "the Napoleonic Code", the Japanese added to this their own constitution to form six codes in all, and thus it came to be called the roppō or "six codes."
Legislation in Japan tends to be terse. The statutory volume Roppō Zensho, similar in size to a large dictionary, contains all six codes as well as many other statutes enacted by the Diet.
The Republic of China's legal system is strongly influenced by Japan's. As a result, the terms Six Codes and Book of Six Codes are also widely used in the Republic of China.