The thesis studies the influence of the French Civil Code of 1804 on the civil codes of Quebec (the Civil Code of Lower Canada of 1866), Louisiana (the Civil Code of the State of Louisiana of 1825) and Francophone Switzerland (civil codes of cantons of Vaud of 1821, Valais of 1843-1855, Neuchâtel of 1853-1855, Fribourg of 1834-1850 as well as the French Civil Code as applied in two Swiss territories: the Canton of Geneva and Bernese Jura from 1804 until 1912). The study is focused not only on the reception of the positive law of one country by the positive law of another, but also on the reception of the legal tradition of one society by another. The study focuses on the modifications that the same law undergoes under different social and political conditions that exist within different nations. As it is impossible to examine all the provisions of the codes in question the research focuses only on the reception of the second book of the French Code “Of Property, and the Different Modifications of Ownership”. The study shows that, the reception of the French Civil Code took place in societies that were at different stages of their economic development, with varying political landscape, and with divergent cultural and religious values. In all jurisdictions the reception of the French Code was a creative, well thought-out enterprise that took into account local particularities and interests as well as historical sources of local law. Codifiers were not afraid of rejecting certain provisions of the French law if they found them unsuitable for their society. Nor were they afraid of keeping institutions that were abandoned in France itself if they found them pertinent to their countries.

Souscrivant à une conception large de la loi, les rédacteurs du Code civil n'enfermeraient pas le juge dans une exégèse étroite de la législation.La doctrine civiliste du XIXème siècle, partagée entre une mémoire de tradition et une mémoire de fondation, entendait interpréter le Code civil en respectant l'esprit de ses auteurs. / Endorsing a broad conception of law, the authors of the french Civil Code does not confine the judge in a close exegesis of the legislation.Civil doctrine of the XIXth century, shared between a memory of tradition and memory of foundation, intended to interpret the Civil Code respecting the spirit of its authors.

Le Code civil français a exercé une influence considérable sur la codification civile congolaise. En 1895, par le biais de la colonisation, les Belges avaient importé au Congo le Code Napoléon qu’ils avaient eux-mêmes hérité des conquêtes de l’Empereur français. Le système juridique congolais qui jadis était basé sur le droit coutumier non écrit, fait de multiples coutumes et mœurs locales, s’était alors doté d’un Code rationnalisé calqué sur le modèle français. Après l’indépendance, le pouvoir politique congolais avait voulu remplacer le Code colonial qui était non seulement lacunaire mais surtout inadapté à la mentalité et aux traditions congolaises. Les travaux législatifs engagés notamment sur la partie relative aux droits des personnes et de la famille ont requis le recours à l’authenticité congolaise… En 1987, le législateur congolais a édicté la loi portant le Code de la famille. Ce Code qui pourtant prônait la rupture avec l’ancien Code colonial ne s’est-il pas finalement aligné sur ce même modèle contesté ? Quel choix le législateur congolais a-t-il fait entre tradition et modernité ? Quelles sont les principales nouveautés de ce Code ? Quelles critiques en a-t-on fait ? Aujourd’hui, 20 ans après son élaboration, le vieillissement du Code de la famille ne nécessite-il pas une recodification ? / The French Law has exercised significant influence on Congolese codifications; the most outstanding example is no doubt civil codifications. In reality, the Congolese legal system once based on the unwritten customary law made on multiple customs and community behaviours received through the Belgian colonization, with some adjustments, the Napoleonic Code that the Belgium has therefore received from Napoleonic conquests. This Code is also always applied in Belgium. But after the Congolese’s national independence, political power had wanted to replace the colonial Code which was the mentality and Congolese customs but still incomplete. Furthermore, the legislative work initiated on the part relating to the rights of persons and the family, which led to performing in 1987 of the Family Code, had advocated the use of the right traditional (authenticity). However, apart from the integration of a few customary institutions, this new Congolese Code is the modern fundamental (imperative of development). In fact, it renewed and even amplified the French law that associated others European rights and African postcolonial. But today, this Code has definitely aged; what might therefore be the best remedies to more valuable ? _______________________________________________________________________________________

La rencontre entre les contrats et les droits fondamentaux est au centre de très nombreux débats juridiques contemporains : qu’il s’agisse notamment de la place du fait religieux dans la société, de la marchandisation du corps humain, ou encore du respect de la dignité de la personne. Cette rencontre stimule la réflexion de nombreux juristes, le sens de l’étude est de contribuer modestement à celle-ci dans la perspective d’une comparaison entre les droits français et québécois.On peut alors observer que l’exigence de respect des droits fondamentaux dans les contrats progresse dans les deux systèmes. En premier lieu, parce que nos droits font une place de plus en plus grande aux instruments de protection des droits fondamentaux, leur autorité s’impose en matière contractuelle. Ensuite, il faut remarquer que l’autorité des droits fondamentaux n’épuise pas leurs effets dans ce domaine. Ils rayonnent dans les contrats, car de relecture en réécriture les droits français et québécois des contrats sont de plus en plus imprégnés par l’exigence de respect des droits fondamentaux. Toutefois, en France et au Québec, à cette progression répond la nécessité de permettre l’inscription sociale des droits fondamentaux. On voit alors que le pouvoir sur les droits fondamentaux dans les contrats s’affirme, et que de contrat médical en contrat de travail, il devient incontournable pour permettre leur exercice. Toutefois, la dangerosité inhérente du pouvoir sur les droits fondamentaux justifie une réflexion sur les limites qui peuvent lui être assigné, à la fois en considération du respect de la dignité de la personne, mais également en considération de sa légitimité / The meeting of contract law with fundamental rights is at the center of numerous contemporary legal debates, notably with regard to the place of the religious in society, the commodification of the body, or respect for human dignity. This encounter has prodded a reflection from numerous jurists. The aim of this study is to bring a modest contribution to the discussion, through a comparison of French and Québec law. The exigencies of respect for fundamental rights is evolving in the two legal systems. Because fundamental rights instruments play a larger role in our laws, their authority in contractual matters is becoming ineludible. Indeed, it should be noted that fundamental rights have not reached their full extent in this field. They emerge within contracts, because from revisiting to re-writing, Québec and French contract law are increasingly influenced by the obligation to comply with fundamental rights.However, this evolution in France and in Quebec is accompanied by a requirement that fundamental rights be allowed social admission. From that point on, we can see power over fundamental rights being asserted within contacts, that power evolving from medical contracts to work contracts towards becoming inescapable for their enforcement. Yet, the danger inherent in such power over fundamental rights calls for serious deliberations on the limits that must be set upon it, both with regard to the dignity of the human person, and in relation to its legitimacy

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