<P> In law, codification is the process of collecting and restating the law of a jurisdiction in certain areas, usually by subject, forming a legal code, i.e. a codex (book) of law . </P> <P> Codification is the defining feature of civil law jurisdictions . In common law systems, such as that of England and Wales, codification is the process of converting and consolidating judge - made law into statute law . </P> <P> Ancient Sumer's Code of Ur - Nammu was compiled circa 2050--1230 BC, and is the earliest known surviving civil code . Three centuries later, the Babylonian king Hammurabi enacted the set of laws named after him . </P> <P> Besides religious laws such as the Torah, important codifications were developed in the ancient Roman Empire, with the compilations of the Lex Duodecim Tabularum and much later the Corpus Iuris Civilis . These codified laws were the exceptions rather than the rule, however, as during much of ancient times Roman laws were left mostly uncodified . </P>

Where did the idea of codification come from