Chinese 六法 Bopomofo ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄈㄚˇ Wade–Giles liu⁴-fa³ | Hanyu Pinyin Gwoyeu Romatzyh liowfaa Tongyong Pinyin | |
Six Codes (六法), refers to the six main legal codes that make up the main body of law in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. 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.
The word roppō is a slightly adapted form of the word used in Japanese to describe the Napoleonic Code (ナポレオン五法典 Napoleon go-hōten) when it was brought over during the early Meiji period. Although the Napoleonic Code consisted of five major codes, 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.