The Code Henry — Law of a Black Kingdom (1812)
Le Code Henry — Loi d un Royaume Noir (1812)
The complete legal code of the Kingdom of Haiti, promulgated by King Henry I on February 20, 1812. A comprehensive system of civil, commercial, criminal, agricultural, and military law — the first legal framework created by a Black nation in the Western Hemisphere.
The Foundation of the Kingdom — Citizens, Records and the Rule of Law
Les Fondements du Royaume — Citoyens, Registres et Etat de Droit
How King Henry I built the legal foundation of the first Black kingdom in the Western Hemisphere. These articles define who is Haitian, how the state records its citizens from birth to death, the rules of marriage and domicile, and the principles that govern all law in the kingdom. Civil Law, Titles I through V.
Blood, Bond & Belonging — Parentage, Adoption & the Law of Guardianship
Sang, Lien et Appartenance — Parenté, Adoption et la Loi de la Tutelle
Articles 97-252 of the Loi Civile.
Land and Law — Property, Ownership & Servitudes
Terre et Loi — Propriété, Possession et Servitudes
Articles 253-381 of the Loi Civile.
Who Inherits — The Law of Succession
Qui hérite — La loi des successions
Articles 382-541 of the Loi Civile.
Giving and Leaving
Donner et léguer
Titre XVI of the Code Henry: the complete law of donations, testaments, wills, legacies, and spousal gifts — Articles 542 to 705.
Contracts and Obligations
Contrats et obligations
Titre XVII of the Code Henry: the complete law of contracts, consent, capacity, damages, solidarity, payment, compensation, novation, proof, and the oath — Articles 706 to 954.
Beyond the Contract
Au-delà du contrat
Titres XVIII-XIX of the Code Henry: quasi-contracts, delicts, tort liability, marriage contracts, community property, and the widow's rights — Articles 955 to 1030.
The Law of Sale
La loi de la vente
Articles 1031-1124: The complete law of sale in the Kingdom of Haiti — from the nature of contracts and delivery obligations to warranties against eviction, hidden defects, the right of redemption, and the assignment of claims.
Exchange and Lease
Échange et louage
Articles 1125-1196: The contract of exchange, general lease rules, tenant and landlord obligations, farm and house leases, hire of labor, construction contracts, and livestock bailment in the Kingdom of Haiti.
Partnerships
Les Sociétés
Titre XXIII of the Code Henry: The Contract of Partnership — how partnerships were formed, managed, and dissolved in Christophe's kingdom (Art. 1197–1237).
The Law of Loans
Du Prêt
Titre XXIV of the Code Henry: Loans for use, loans for consumption, interest rates, and constituted annuities (Art. 1238–1271).
Deposits and Sequestration
Du Dépôt et du Séquestre
Titre XXV of the Code Henry: the law of deposits, from voluntary custody to emergency deposits and court-ordered sequestration (Articles 1272-1313).
Chance and Agency
Aléa et Mandat
Titres XXVI-XXVII of the Code Henry: aleatory contracts, life annuities, gambling prohibition, and the law of agency (Articles 1314-1350).
The Law of Suretyship
Du Cautionnement
Titre XXVIII of the Code Henry: the law of suretyship — guaranteeing debts, the benefit of discussion, recourse, and extinction (Articles 1351-1381).
Transactions, Imprisonment, and Pledges
Transactions, Contrainte et Nantissement
Titres XXIX-XXXI of the Code Henry: settlement agreements, bodily constraint for civil debts, and the law of pledges — gage and mort-gage (Articles 1382-1428).
Privileges and Mortgages
Des Privilèges et Hypothèques
Titre XXXII of the Code Henry: the system of creditor priority — privileges, hypothèques, registration, purging, and clerk accountability (Articles 1429-1482).
Forced Sale and Prescription
Vente forcée et Prescription
Titres XXXIII-XXXIV of the Code Henry: forced sale of immovable property, creditor distribution, and the law of prescription — how time creates and destroys rights (Articles 1483-1530). The final titres of the Loi Civile.
The Law of Commerce
La Loi de Commerce
Land commerce and maritime law in the Kingdom of Haiti — merchants, partnerships, bills of exchange, ships, crews, chartering, and freight. Titres I–II of the Loi de Commerce, Articles 1–141.
Insurance, Bankruptcy, and the Admiralty Courts
Assurances, Faillites et les Cours d Amirauté
Maritime insurance, bankruptcy protection, fraudulent bankruptcy, testaments at sea, and admiralty court jurisdiction. Titres III–V of the Loi de Commerce, Articles 142–241.
Privateering and the Law of Prizes
La course en mer et la loi des prises
The complete law governing privateering, captures, prize adjudication, ransoms, salvage, letters of reprisal, and foreign prizes in Haitian ports — all 64 articles of the Loi sur les Prises.
Crime and Punishment in Henry's Kingdom
Crime et châtiment dans le royaume de Henry
The complete criminal code: three tiers of justice, crimes against the state, persons, and property — all 86 articles of the Loi Criminelle.
The Land and Its People
La terre et ses gens
The Loi sur la Culture — Henry's agricultural law governing the reciprocal obligations of landowners and workers, major crops, food security, and the quarter system of revenue sharing. Articles 1–71.
Governing the Countryside
Gouverner les campagnes
Titres V–VIII of the Loi sur la Culture: public works and corvée labor, land services, the épaves stray-animal courts, the hatte cattle-ranching system, and the comprehensive penalty code for rural offenses — completing all 133 articles of Henry's agricultural law.
Before the Local Judge
Devant le juge local
How civil cases begin and proceed through the parish courts and sénéchaussées of Henry's kingdom — citations, summons, hearings, judgments, defaults, and exceptions (Procédure Civile, Art. 1–106).
Evidence, Exceptions, and Incidents
Preuves, exceptions et incidents
Handwriting verification, forgery proceedings, witness inquiries, expert reports, interrogations, judicial recusation, and summary procedure in Henry's courts (Procédure Civile, Art. 107–199).
Appeals, Challenges, and Execution
Appels, contestations et exécution
Admiralty procedure, appeals, extraordinary remedies, forced execution of judgments, seizures of movable and immovable property, detention for debt, and emergency référé orders (Procédure Civile, Art. 200–390).
Special Proceedings and Arbitration
Procédures spéciales et arbitrage
Offers of payment, landlord seizures, document access, separation of property, interdiction, succession procedures, arbitration, and the general dispositions of the Procédure Civile (Art. 391–536).
Police and Correctional Courts
Police et tribunaux correctionnels
The jurisdictional hierarchy, simple police procedure, correctional police, and the appeal system — Articles 1–75 of the Procédure Criminelle.
Investigating Crime
L instruction criminelle
Crime scene investigation, the juge d instruction, witness examination, interrogation of the accused, warrants, and provisional liberty — Articles 76–202 of the Procédure Criminelle.
The Criminal Trial
Le procès criminel
Witness confrontation, verdicts, sentencing, criminal appeals, and the royal pardon system — Articles 203–304 of the Procédure Criminelle.
Contumacy, Forgery, and Prescription
Contumace, faux et prescription
Trial in absentia, prison escape, forgery procedures, handwriting verification, and statutes of limitation — Articles 305–421 of the Procédure Criminelle.
Command, Garrison, and the Order of Service
Commandement, garnison et ordre du service
The military hierarchy from provincial command to the sentinel's post — how Henry I organized garrison life across his kingdom.
Gates, Rounds, and the Discipline of Place
Portes, rondes et la discipline des places
From the opening of the gates at dawn to the midnight patrol — how Henry I secured his fortified places.
The Regiment from Within
Le régiment de l'intérieur
Barracks life, discipline, schools, punishments, honours, and funerals — the complete internal world of Henry's regiments.
Crime, Punishment, and Military Justice
Crime, punition et justice militaire
The complete military penal code — desertion, treason, espionage, courts-martial, and the ultimate price of disobedience.