codified

Codified is an adjective meaning arranged or set down in a code or system, typically as formal statutes or rules. The term derives from Latin codex, with the verb codificare meaning to put into a code or organize into a collection. In law, codified refers to statutes, regulations, and other normative rules that have been compiled and published as a codex or code. This contrasts with common law, where rules develop primarily through judicial decisions rather than a single consolidated statute. Many legal systems are organized around codified codes, such as the Napoleonic Code in France (Code civil), the German BGB, or India’s Code of Criminal Procedure. The codification process aims to consolidate dispersed laws, reduce ambiguity, and improve accessibility and predictability for those governed by them. It may involve drafting proposals, public consultation, consolidation of prior laws, harmonization across jurisdictions, and formal enactment followed by publication and revision.

Outside law, codification describes turning information into a formal code or set of rules. In computing, to codify can mean converting a specification into executable code, while in science or data management it can mean encoding data or classifications into standardized codes or taxonomies.

Critics note that codification can reduce flexibility and slow updates, since changes require formal amendment. Still, codification remains a core method for organizing complex bodies of law and rules.