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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

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1
Article 1 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
No one may arm for privateering without the king's permission.
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No one may arm for privateering without the king's permission.

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2
Article 2 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
War commissions shall be issued by the Grand Admiral, and registered at the naval office.
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War commissions shall be issued by the Grand Admiral, and registered at the naval office.

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3
Article 3 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
Whoever receives a war commission shall further be required to register it at the admiralty clerk's office of the place where he outfits his vessel,...
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Whoever receives a war commission shall further be required to register it at the admiralty clerk's office of the place where he outfits his vessel, and to post security proportional to the value of his armament.

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4
Article 4 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
Said security shall be received in the presence of the king's prosecutor of the admiralty.
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Said security shall be received in the presence of the king's prosecutor of the admiralty.

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5
Article 5 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
He shall further bind himself by depositing his crew roll, of which he shall be given, at the admiralty clerk's office, a certified copy, to...
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He shall further bind himself by depositing his crew roll, of which he shall be given, at the admiralty clerk's office, a certified copy, to bring his vessel back to the port of armament.

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6
Article 6 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
Sailors engaged on board privateering vessels may not abandon them without having fulfilled the engagements contracted in their charter party.
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Sailors engaged on board privateering vessels may not abandon them without having fulfilled the engagements contracted in their charter party.

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7
Article 7 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
The reading of the charter party between the outfitter and the crew of the privateer shall be done on the quarterdeck, by the commissary or...
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The reading of the charter party between the outfitter and the crew of the privateer shall be done on the quarterdeck, by the commissary or ship's clerk, in the presence of the captain and officers; those who can sign shall sign; but all shall be deemed to have signed if the principal officers, boatswains, and gunners have done so; if they cannot sign, mention shall be made by the commissary or clerk appointed for this purpose.

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8
Article 8 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
In this case, any sailor who abandons his vessel shall be required to return any advances received, and shall further be condemned to three months...
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In this case, any sailor who abandons his vessel shall be required to return any advances received, and shall further be condemned to three months of hard labor.

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9
Article 9 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
The charter party shall mention all conditions agreed between the outfitter, captain, and crew; the portion the outfitter reserves from prizes to be taken; the...
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The charter party shall mention all conditions agreed between the outfitter, captain, and crew; the portion the outfitter reserves from prizes to be taken; the number of shares each is to receive from the crew's portion; captain, staff officers, masters, sailors, volunteers, and cabin boys; the advances each has individually received; and finally the charges that the interested parties must bear in port-of-call expenses.

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10
Article 10 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
The charter party, being considered as a partnership agreement between the outfitter and the crew, must stipulate all agreements made between them, and shall always...
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The charter party, being considered as a partnership agreement between the outfitter and the crew, must stipulate all agreements made between them, and shall always be consulted.

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11
Article 11 Law on Prizes · De l'Armement en Course
Prize Law
The deposit thereof must be made at the admiralty clerk's office before the privateer's departure, to be available for reference as needed.
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The deposit thereof must be made at the admiralty clerk's office before the privateer's departure, to be available for reference as needed.

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12
Article 12 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
The officer and clerk sent aboard a captured vessel shall seize all papers found there, make an inventory in the presence of the captured officers;...
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The officer and clerk sent aboard a captured vessel shall seize all papers found there, make an inventory in the presence of the captured officers; they shall be invited to sign; if they refuse, proceedings shall continue with mention of their refusal in the official record; they must place seals on the hatches, cabin doors, wardrobes, chests, desks, and all other places containing merchandise or other objects, and take the keys.

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13
Article 13 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
This official record must further state all circumstances that preceded, accompanied, and followed the capture; the hour the vessel was sighted, at what latitude it...
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This official record must further state all circumstances that preceded, accompanied, and followed the capture; the hour the vessel was sighted, at what latitude it was found; the course it was making; whether it changed course during the chase; whether having been fired upon with a warning shot, it refused to lower its sails, and whether this refusal was followed by combat.

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14
Article 14 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
The capturing captain shall take care to seize the keys of chests, desks, wardrobes, drawers, and cabins; he shall verify that seals have been placed...
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The capturing captain shall take care to seize the keys of chests, desks, wardrobes, drawers, and cabins; he shall verify that seals have been placed on the hatches and other places containing merchandise and other objects, as prescribed by article 12 above.

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15
Article 15 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
The captain shall appoint a prize captain, to whom he shall give a copy of his privateering commission, at the bottom of which shall be...
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The captain shall appoint a prize captain, to whom he shall give a copy of his privateering commission, at the bottom of which shall be noted his capacity as prize captain, the name of the captured vessel and captain, the place, hour, day, and year of capture. The captured vessel's papers shall be given to the prize captain in a sealed bag, to be delivered to the admiralty upon arrival at the armament port.

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16
Article 16 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
The capturing captain's orders must be given in writing to the prize captains, to proceed to the armament port, unless storm or force majeure prevents...
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The capturing captain's orders must be given in writing to the prize captains, to proceed to the armament port, unless storm or force majeure prevents it; in which case, they must immediately notify the armament stakeholders. Failure to fulfill these formalities precisely shall result in loss of their rights to the prize, and further subject them to a fine set by the admiralty.

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17
Article 17 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
All vessels belonging to enemies or commanded by pirates or others sailing the seas without any prince's war commission shall be good prize.
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All vessels belonging to enemies or commanded by pirates or others sailing the seas without any prince's war commission shall be good prize.

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18
Article 18 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
All vessels that have fought under a flag other than that of the state from which they hold commission, and those holding war commissions from...
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All vessels that have fought under a flag other than that of the state from which they hold commission, and those holding war commissions from different princes or states, shall be good prize; the same applies to any merchant vessel with multiple sailing papers or blank papers.

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19
Article 19 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
All vessels with their cargoes in which no crew roll and register, which must be certified by public officials of their port of departure, loading...
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All vessels with their cargoes in which no crew roll and register, which must be certified by public officials of their port of departure, loading certificate, bill of lading, and invoices are found, shall be good prize; all these documents must be signed and become void if unsigned.

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20
Article 20 Law on Prizes · Des Prises
Prize Law
The captured vessel whose cargo belongs two-thirds to enemies of the kingdom of Hayti shall be good prize, as shall its cargo.
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The captured vessel whose cargo belongs two-thirds to enemies of the kingdom of Hayti shall be good prize, as shall its cargo.