The local military
chiefs and the parish priests decided the questions that arose.
As the country progressed in spite of itself, and there were periods
of peace, the need of an official Spanish text of the laws became more
pressing, and at length in 1882 a commission was appointed to
translate and adapt the French codes. On the report of the commission
a civil code, a code of civil procedure, a code of commerce, a penal
code, a code of criminal procedure and a military code were approved
in the year 1884. They are literal translations of the French codes
with a few modifications to adapt them to local conditions. The penal
codes are such close translations that several paragraphs relating to
juries were retained, although the institution does not exist in Santo
Domingo. It was tried in 1857, but discontinued in the following year.
The Dominican Congress made but few changes in these important laws,
which have therefore been more permanent than the constitution. The
need for a further revision of the Dominican codes became urgent,
however, and such revision has very recently been concluded by a
commission which sat for that purpose; it is now being considered with
a view to an early promulgation of the codes in amended form.
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