A panorama of Brazilian Civil Law: from its origins to our days

Abstract

The article begins with the analysis of the origins of Brazilian Civil Law, and for that it goes into a brief history of the old Portuguese Civil Law. It then speaks about our Civil Law in the period of Independence until the Civil Code of 1917 came into effect, trying to deal from an historical point of view with the proposals to this Code, paying special attention to the Consolidação das Leis Civis de Teixeira de Freitas (The Consolidation of Civil Laws, by Teixeira de Freitas), among other attempts. It analyzes then the Civil Code of Clovis Bevilaqua, its introduction and its division of subjects, to afterwards make some observations on the changes and innovations introduced by later legislation. It finishes discoursing on the proposals of reform of this Code, through three attempts made in the past and reminding us of a fourth attempt under way.