Law Jurisdiction Enacted Years since Notes
Code of Justinian South Africa , Zimbabwe , Lesotho , Namibia , Botswana , eSwatini 529 1497 The edict remains in force in the six southern African countries using Roman law.[ 1]
Quran Multiple 632 1394 Quran alongside with the hadith remains a source of law in countries using sharia including Saudi Arabia , Afghanistan , Iran among others.[ 2]
Fairs Act 1204 Ireland 1204 822 The oldest statute in force on the Irish statute book[ 3]
Magna Carta (1225)South Australia 1225 801 [ 4]
Codex Holmiensis Schleswig , Germany 1241 785 In 1900, the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch [ 5] [ 6] [ 7]
Statute of Marlborough England and Wales 1267 759 The oldest piece of statute law in the United Kingdom still in force.[ 8]
Bishop Árni's Christian Law Iceland 1275 751 The oldest law still in force in Iceland regulating the bishop's authority over churches.[ 9]
Magna Carta (1297)United Kingdom 1297 729 Clauses 1, 9, and 29[ 4]
New Zealand , Victoria , New South Wales , Queensland , Australian Capital Territory Clause 29[ 4]
Western Australia , Tasmania , South Australia and the Northern Territory All apart from the chapter 26[ 4]
Royal Mines Act 1424 Scotland 1424 602 Oldest law in effect in Scotland[ 10]
fr:Paix de Saint-Jacques Belgium 1487 539 Oldest law remaining in force in Belgium, it concerns drainage tunnels.[ 11]
Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts France 1539 487 Oldest law still in effect in France[ 12]
Statute of Frauds United States 1677 349 Originally passed by the British parliament, the statue remains the oldest source of the common law in the United States.[ 13]
Norwegian Code Norway , Iceland , Faroe Islands 1687 339 As of 2025 only four of its articles remain in effect.[ 14]
An Act to regulate the Time and Manner of administering certain Oaths United States 1789 237 The oldest federal statue in the United States, parts of which remain in effect.[ 15]
hu:1827. évi XII. törvény Hungary 1827 199 Oldest legal act in effect in Hungary, it does not establish any rules or prohibitions, merely memorizing certain individuals.[ 16]
nl:Wet algemene bepalingen Netherlands 1829 197 [ 17]
Bengal Districts Act India 1836 190 The oldest law still in effect in India.[ 18]
Civil Code of Indonesia Indonesia 1847 179 Passed during the Dutch control, remains in effect to this day.[ 19]
Spanish Notaries Act Spain 1862 164 Oldest law in effect in Spain.[ 20]
it:Legge 20 marzo 1865, n. 2248 Italy 1865 161 Oldest law still in effect in Italy[ 21]
Trade Regulation Act Germany 1869 157 The oldest codification of business law in Germany which is still in force with changes.[ 22]
Proclamation for Calendar Reform Japan 1872 154 Oldest law still in effect in Japan.[ 23]
The law abolishing nobility, orders and titles Czech Republic 1918 108 The law remains in force to this day, but parts imposing criminal penalties have been repealed rendering it purely declaratory.[ 24]
pl:Ustawa o nabywaniu nieruchomości przez cudzoziemców Poland 1920 106 Oldest law still in effect in Poland[ 25]
Civil Code of RSFRR Russia 1922 104 The part of the code regarding inheritance rules remains oldest legislation in effect in Russia.[ 26]
