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Code Henry

The first comprehensive legal code of the Kingdom of Haiti, promulgated by King Henry Christophe on February 20, 1812 — a sovereign act of juridical self-determination just eight years after the world's only successful slave revolution produced an independent nation. This digital edition presents the complete Code in 3,004 articles spanning 8 laws and 67 titres — from the Loi Civile's 1,535 articles on personhood, marriage, property, and succession, to the Loi sur la Procédure Criminelle's 421 articles on investigation, confrontation, and royal clemency. Every article has been hand-extracted from 19th-century OCR, corrected, translated into English, and annotated with plain-language life lessons and scholarly notes. Browse in French, English, or Kreyòl Ayisyen. 3,004 articles · 8 laws · 3 languages · 213 years restored

3,004 articles in the Code Henry

Today on Jou October 30, 2026 · ten articles, two each on family, property, labor and agriculture, crimes and penalties, and commerce · Open Jou
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67
Article 67 Civil Law · Des Qualités et Conditions requises pour contracter Mariage
Family Law
Upon reaching the ages determined by the preceding article, children, before contracting marriage, are required to solicit, by a respectful and formal act, the approval...
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Upon reaching the ages determined by the preceding article, children, before contracting marriage, are required to solicit, by a respectful and formal act, the approval of their father and mother.

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68
Article 68 Civil Law · Des Qualités et Conditions requises pour contracter Mariage
Family Law
From the majority fixed by Article 66 until the age of twenty-five for the son, and twenty-one for the daughter, the respectful act that has...
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From the majority fixed by Article 66 until the age of twenty-five for the son, and twenty-one for the daughter, the respectful act that has not received the parents' assent shall be renewed after one month; and fifteen days later, the marriage celebration may proceed.

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275
Article 275 Civil Law · Du Rapport des Biens avec ceux qui les Possèdent
Property Law
All vacant and ownerless property, and that of persons who die without heirs, or whose successions are abandoned, belongs to the king.
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All vacant and ownerless property, and that of persons who die without heirs, or whose successions are abandoned, belongs to the king.

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276
Article 276 Civil Law
Property Law
The use, absolute disposition of property, and the faculty to alienate it constitute the right of ownership, provided that one does nothing contrary to established...
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The use, absolute disposition of property, and the faculty to alienate it constitute the right of ownership, provided that one does nothing contrary to established laws and regulations.

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31
Article 31 Law Concerning Agriculture
Agriculture
The owners, tenant farmers, managers, and foremen of sugar plantations shall take the proper precautions to carry out the planting of cane in the appropriate...
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The owners, tenant farmers, managers, and foremen of sugar plantations shall take the proper precautions to carry out the planting of cane in the appropriate manner.

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32
Article 32 Law Concerning Agriculture
Quality Control
The owners or tenant farmers, or in their absence the managers, are required to manufacture sugar with the necessary care and precautions to render it...
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The owners or tenant farmers, or in their absence the managers, are required to manufacture sugar with the necessary care and precautions to render it of superior quality; to this end, they shall take care to have it well washed and skimmed, and before the sugar is fit for delivery, it must have been purged of its syrup for a period of three months. The hogsheads shall be marked with the name of the owner or tenant farmer of the plantation, and that of the parish, so that the true origin of the sugar can be verified when needed.

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23
Article 23 Criminal, Correctional and Police Law · Des délits et peines correctionnelles
Criminal Law
All rural offenses mentioned in the Rural Law, punishable by detention at the royal prison not exceeding one year, and a fine of more than...
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All rural offenses mentioned in the Rural Law, punishable by detention at the royal prison not exceeding one year, and a fine of more than twenty-five gourdes up to three hundred, are correctional offenses and shall be pursued and judged as such; subject to repeat offense, which shall incur double penalty, if not otherwise determined by a provision of the law.

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24
Article 24 Criminal, Correctional and Police Law · Des délits et peines correctionnelles
Criminal Law
The penalty incurred by one whose animal, vehicle, or mount has injured someone shall be, according to circumstances, a fine of twenty-five to fifty gourdes,...
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The penalty incurred by one whose animal, vehicle, or mount has injured someone shall be, according to circumstances, a fine of twenty-five to fifty gourdes, and detention of one to four months at the royal prison; subject to criminal proceedings if the case warrants.

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23
Article 23 Commercial Law · Des Intérêts
Commercial Law
The interest recognized in this kingdom shall be six percent per year for cash advances, and six percent for merchandise.
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The interest recognized in this kingdom shall be six percent per year for cash advances, and six percent for merchandise.

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24
Article 24 Commercial Law · Des Intérêts
Commercial Law
Interest arising from commercial affairs shall run only from the day the title holder has duly obtained judgment, unless there are particular written agreements between...
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Interest arising from commercial affairs shall run only from the day the title holder has duly obtained judgment, unless there are particular written agreements between the contracting parties.

The whole code

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1
Article 1 Civil Law
Rule of Law
The promulgation of laws is made in the name of the king. In every seat of the seneschal's court, in every town and parish of...
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The promulgation of laws is made in the name of the king. In every seat of the seneschal's court, in every town and parish of the kingdom, laws are enforceable twenty-four hours after their promulgation.

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2
Article 2 Civil Law
Rule of Law
The law has no retroactive effect.
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The law has no retroactive effect.

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3
Article 3 Civil Law
Sovereignty
The laws of policing and public safety are binding upon all who inhabit the kingdom, whether subjects or foreigners. Real property is governed by the...
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The laws of policing and public safety are binding upon all who inhabit the kingdom, whether subjects or foreigners. Real property is governed by the law. Laws relating to the status and legal capacity of persons extend their effect to Haytians, even those residing in foreign lands.

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4
Article 4 Civil Law
Judicial Duty
The silence, obscurity, or insufficiency of the law shall not serve as a valid pretext for a judge to refrain from ruling on any matter...
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The silence, obscurity, or insufficiency of the law shall not serve as a valid pretext for a judge to refrain from ruling on any matter whatsoever. Any refusal on his part shall be considered a denial of justice punishable by law, except that in such cases he may refer the matter to the sovereign authority through the minister of justice, and the parties may verify the facts by petition addressed to said minister.

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5
Article 5 Civil Law
Judicial Duty
Judges are forbidden from interpreting the law beyond its text; they are always required to judge according to the letter of the law.
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Judges are forbidden from interpreting the law beyond its text; they are always required to judge according to the letter of the law.

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6
Article 6 Civil Law
Public Order
No private agreements may rest upon foundations that contradict or violate the laws concerning public order and good morals.
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No private agreements may rest upon foundations that contradict or violate the laws concerning public order and good morals.

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7
Article 7 Civil Law · De la Jouissance des Droits civils
Civil Rights
The enjoyment of civil rights is guaranteed to every Haytian; their exercise does not depend on the status of citizen; that status is acquired and...
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The enjoyment of civil rights is guaranteed to every Haytian; their exercise does not depend on the status of citizen; that status is acquired and retained only in accordance with the laws of the kingdom.

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8
Article 8 Civil Law · De la Jouissance des Droits civils
Citizenship
Every child born of a Haytian father or a Haytian mother, in a foreign country, is Haytian.
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Every child born of a Haytian father or a Haytian mother, in a foreign country, is Haytian.

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9
Article 9 Civil Law · De la Jouissance des Droits civils
Citizenship
The wife of a Haytian, even if she is a foreigner, is by right Haytian.
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The wife of a Haytian, even if she is a foreigner, is by right Haytian.

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10
Article 10 Civil Law · De la Jouissance des Droits civils
Civil Rights
Every foreigner domiciled in the kingdom, by virtue of the sovereign's authorization, shall enjoy the exercise of civil rights for the duration of his residence.
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Every foreigner domiciled in the kingdom, by virtue of the sovereign's authorization, shall enjoy the exercise of civil rights for the duration of his residence.

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11
Article 11 Civil Law · De la Jouissance des Droits civils
Judicial Procedure
A foreign plaintiff, in any matter other than commercial, shall provide security for the payment of costs, damages, and interest that may result from the...
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A foreign plaintiff, in any matter other than commercial, shall provide security for the payment of costs, damages, and interest that may result from the lawsuit.

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12
Article 12 Civil Law · De la Privation des Droits civils
Citizenship
A Haytian renounces and loses his status as citizen: 1st, by acquiring naturalization in a foreign country; 2nd, by accepting civil or military positions with...
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A Haytian renounces and loses his status as citizen: 1st, by acquiring naturalization in a foreign country; 2nd, by accepting civil or military positions with foreign powers without the written permission and approval of the sovereign; 3rd, by establishing any settlement abroad, except those for commerce.

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13
Article 13 Civil Law · De la Privation des Droits civils
Citizenship
A Haytian may recover his Haytian status only by the will of the sovereign: included within the provisions of this article are Haytian women who...
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A Haytian may recover his Haytian status only by the will of the sovereign: included within the provisions of this article are Haytian women who are wives or widows of a foreigner.

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14
Article 14 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Administration
The lieutenant judge established in each parish of the various seneschalsies of the kingdom is charged with drafting civil status records. He shall keep a...
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The lieutenant judge established in each parish of the various seneschalsies of the kingdom is charged with drafting civil status records. He shall keep a register numbered and initialed by the Seneschal of the jurisdiction, in which shall be recorded the acts of birth, marriage, and death.

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15
Article 15 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Administration
This register shall be kept in triplicate: one shall remain in the hands of the lieutenant judge during his tenure, to be transmitted to his...
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This register shall be kept in triplicate: one shall remain in the hands of the lieutenant judge during his tenure, to be transmitted to his successor, who shall provide him a proper and valid discharge; the other two shall be sent by him, at the end of each year, to the king's prosecutor of the seneschalsy to which he belongs, who, after examination, shall give him discharge, and the latter shall deposit one at the clerk's office of the seneschalsy, and send the other to the archives of Sans-Souci.

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16
Article 16 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Administration
The acts shall be inscribed in the registers consecutively, without any blank space; nothing shall be inserted therein, whether by note or by any statement...
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The acts shall be inscribed in the registers consecutively, without any blank space; nothing shall be inserted therein, whether by note or by any statement whatsoever, other than what must be declared by the appearing parties; and these registers shall express the year, the day, and the hour when the acts are received, the given names, surnames, age, profession, and domicile of all those named therein.

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17
Article 17 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Procedure
It shall be permissible for parties who cannot appear in person to have themselves represented by a holder of special power of attorney.
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It shall be permissible for parties who cannot appear in person to have themselves represented by a holder of special power of attorney.

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18
Article 18 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Administration
The appearing parties and the lieutenant judge shall sign, after reading, each act on the three registers; and if they declare that they cannot sign,...
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The appearing parties and the lieutenant judge shall sign, after reading, each act on the three registers; and if they declare that they cannot sign, mention thereof shall be made.

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19
Article 19 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Administration
The powers of attorney and other documents required for the drafting of civil status records are and shall remain annexed to the registers to be...
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The powers of attorney and other documents required for the drafting of civil status records are and shall remain annexed to the registers to be deposited at the clerk's office of the seneschalsies, after being initialed by the person who produced them and by the lieutenant judge.

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20
Article 20 Civil Law · Dispositions générales
Civil Rights
Every individual has the right to obtain extracts of the acts inscribed in these registers.
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Every individual has the right to obtain extracts of the acts inscribed in these registers.

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