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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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90
Article 90 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
Pigs and goats that intrude into the provision grounds or gardens of plantations shall be killed, without any compensation to their owners; provided that it...
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Pigs and goats that intrude into the provision grounds or gardens of plantations shall be killed, without any compensation to their owners; provided that it must be proven, by tracks, that the aforementioned animals actually entered the grounds or divisions of the plantations; whoever kills one of these animals shall have the profit of the head and feet, and shall be required to place the body on the barrier at the main entrance of the plantation, so that it may be seen by the public and removed by the rightful party; these animals being required to be kept in ranches or corrals, or held enclosed in pens.

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91
Article 91 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
When one of the animals designated in Article 87 is caught in the provision grounds or gardens of a plantation, it shall be taken within...
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When one of the animals designated in Article 87 is caught in the provision grounds or gardens of a plantation, it shall be taken within twelve hours to the parish impound; the judge shall have the police officer assess the damages caused; and in addition to the impound fees, the owner of the animal shall be condemned to pay the garden owner compensation proportional to the damages caused.

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92
Article 92 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
If an impounded animal has not been claimed within eight days of its entry, the lieutenant judge shall notify the King's prosecutor at the seneschal...
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If an impounded animal has not been claimed within eight days of its entry, the lieutenant judge shall notify the King's prosecutor at the seneschal court, who is required to publish in the notices and public papers the description of the animal, its brand, the name of the person who brought it in, the day and place where it was seized, and the date it was impounded.

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93
Article 93 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
One month after the date of the notice, which shall have been published three times, the animal shall be sent to the seneschal court to...
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One month after the date of the notice, which shall have been published three times, the animal shall be sent to the seneschal court to be sold; and the proceeds, after deduction of fees, shall be deposited in the customs treasury; six months after the sale, no claims shall be admitted, and the deposited sums shall be duly and legally acquired for the benefit of the King.

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94
Article 94 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
Those who have stray, lost, or stolen animals are required to make a declaration at the impound office of their parish, giving the description of...
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Those who have stray, lost, or stolen animals are required to make a declaration at the impound office of their parish, giving the description of the animal, its brand, the place and date it went missing, so that the lieutenant judge may notify the King's prosecutor at the seneschal court, who shall check whether the lost animal is in the impounds of other parishes, so that it may be returned to its owner, who shall pay the impound fees and any damages incurred.

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95
Article 95 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
The authorities in charge of the impounds are conscientiously required to care for and feed the animals brought to their pounds, having the right to...
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The authorities in charge of the impounds are conscientiously required to care for and feed the animals brought to their pounds, having the right to charge the prescribed fees, and it is expressly forbidden for them to work the impounded animals, under penalty of bearing the costs and damages owed to the animal owners, with greater penalties in case of repeat offenses.

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96
Article 96 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
The owners or tenant farmers and the agricultural workers are required to brand or stamp their animals with their customary marks or the initial letters...
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The owners or tenant farmers and the agricultural workers are required to brand or stamp their animals with their customary marks or the initial letters of their names and that of the parish, so that they may respectively distinguish their properties.

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97
Article 97 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
Any person wishing to sell cattle or horses may do so only before the seneschal, the lieutenant judge, or a local notary, and after having...
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Any person wishing to sell cattle or horses may do so only before the seneschal, the lieutenant judge, or a local notary, and after having established by title that they are the owner of the animal or animals they wish to sell, which shall be noted in the deed.

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98
Article 98 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
The establishment of ranches and corrals has as its purpose the increase of animals of every species.
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The establishment of ranches and corrals has as its purpose the increase of animals of every species.

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99
Article 99 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
Ranches and corrals shall be kept as far as possible from plantations designated for commodity cultivation; the animals of ranches and corrals may graze freely...
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Ranches and corrals shall be kept as far as possible from plantations designated for commodity cultivation; the animals of ranches and corrals may graze freely (this is what is meant by the right of ranches); no one may infringe upon this right.

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100
Article 100 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
Those who have establishments near the ranches, for commodity or provision cultivation, are required to fence themselves in. In places designated for ranching, the multiplication...
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Those who have establishments near the ranches, for commodity or provision cultivation, are required to fence themselves in. In places designated for ranching, the multiplication of animals is of greater interest than agriculture, just as in places designated for commodity cultivation all considerations cease with regard to animals.

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101
Article 101 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
The owners of ranch and corral animals are required to brand all their animals every year with their customary marks or to stamp them with...
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The owners of ranch and corral animals are required to brand all their animals every year with their customary marks or to stamp them with the initial letters of their names and that of their parish.

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102
Article 102 Law Concerning Agriculture
Revenue Sharing
The payment of the ranch keepers shall be taken from the increase of the animals; the law allocates one-twentieth of the products, which shall be...
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The payment of the ranch keepers shall be taken from the increase of the animals; the law allocates one-twentieth of the products, which shall be delivered to them annually by the owners and tenant farmers of the ranches.

The ranch keepers shall be required to sell, as they see fit and to whomever they choose, the increase from their animals.

The head keeper shall receive three shares of the twentieth's proceeds.

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103
Article 103 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
The ranch keepers are required to guard and faithfully care for the animals entrusted to them.
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The ranch keepers are required to guard and faithfully care for the animals entrusted to them.

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104
Article 104 Law Concerning Agriculture
Livestock
The King's lieutenants of the parishes and the police officers shall have an exact census taken of the ranch keepers; they shall tolerate only the...
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The King's lieutenants of the parishes and the police officers shall have an exact census taken of the ranch keepers; they shall tolerate only the number strictly necessary to guard and care for the livestock; all available hands, as far as possible, being required to be employed in cultivation.

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105
Article 105 Law Concerning Agriculture
Penalties
Any agricultural worker who absents himself from his plantation without a permit from his manager, countersigned by the King's lieutenant of the parish, shall be...
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Any agricultural worker who absents himself from his plantation without a permit from his manager, countersigned by the King's lieutenant of the parish, shall be condemned to a fine of one gourdin, doubled in case of repeat offense.

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106
Article 106 Law Concerning Agriculture
Penalties
Any owner and tenant farmer who obstruct the main roads by throwing trees on them or degrading them shall be condemned to a fine of...
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Any owner and tenant farmer who obstruct the main roads by throwing trees on them or degrading them shall be condemned to a fine of no less than four gourdes and no more than eight gourdes.

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107
Article 107 Law Concerning Agriculture
Penalties
Any person convicted of having taken another's animals for use, whether at the mill or for travel, shall be condemned to pay the animal's owner,...
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Any person convicted of having taken another's animals for use, whether at the mill or for travel, shall be condemned to pay the animal's owner, in addition to damages and interest, a penalty of twenty-five gourdes, and furthermore the value of the animal if it dies during the journey or service.

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108
Article 108 Law Concerning Agriculture
Penalties
Any animal caught in the gardens or provision grounds of the plantations shall be taken to the parish impound, and the judge shall comply with...
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Any animal caught in the gardens or provision grounds of the plantations shall be taken to the parish impound, and the judge shall comply with the provisions of Article 91 to pronounce the fees and damages incurred.

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109
Article 109 Law Concerning Agriculture
Penalties
Any owner, tenant farmer, manager, or foreman who places animals in the provision grounds or gardens of the plantations to graze shall be condemned to...
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Any owner, tenant farmer, manager, or foreman who places animals in the provision grounds or gardens of the plantations to graze shall be condemned to a fine of eight gourdes, doubled in case of repeat offense.