Is Roman law a relevant area of ​​study for modern society? Introduction to Roman law. Today, in the 21st century, there are two major legal systems with origins in Europe; the civil law system which derived largely from Roman law and the English common law system. Civil Law created the foundation on which the European continent and the countries of South America built their legal systems. What is the difference between Civil Law and Common Law? Common law is a peculiarly English development. Different rules and customs applied in different regions of the country before the Norman conquest. However, after 1066 monarchs using the king's court began to unite the country and its laws. Biological development was a key part of these rules; they were rarely written down and formalized. This contrasted with most of Europe; European rulers drew inspiration from Roman law, and in particular from a collection of rules issued by the emperor Justinian (discussed in greater detail throughout this article) in the 6th century, which were rediscovered in 11th-century Italy. With the Enlightenment of the 18th century,...