The French Revolution - Economic Reforms and the Legal System

2.  What are the changes?
 How were they different to what went before?
 What were the aims behind the changes?
 In what ways were they an improvement on
the old system?
 Are there negative aspects to the changes?

3. •All the deputies believe in laissez faire. Therefore free trade
was introduced in grain and in other products (August
1789). Internal tariffs disappeared and was replaced by a
system of weight and measures.
•The aim was to open up a range of crafts and occupations
to more people. Guilds were, therefore, abolished in1791, as
they had restricted the entry of people who had less
privileges regarding employment into certain trades in order
to ensure that wage levels and prices charged for goods and
services had remained high.
•In October 1790 internal tariffs were abolished , so a
national market was created for the first time. Goods could
move freely without having to pay internal customs duties.

4. •In November 1789 it was announced that church
property would be sold to benefit the state. In return,
the government paid the salaries of the clergy and took
over the church’s role in education and poor relief.
•Many nobles had fled before the revolution broke and
their properties were confiscated and sold.
Overall, the peasants paid less and since exemptions
had been removed , a more just system had been
created. However poverty remained.

5. • There was no free trade which meant that there was state
regulations, trolls and price controls. By removing price controls trade
would be increased.
•The estates of the realm (First, Second and Third estates) was
abolished and replaced with equality.
•Work was given to you for your skills and not purchased.
•The third estate felt the king disregarded relief for the poor as a duty
of the state.
•The church had provided what little assistance the poor had received
from its lands and its main source of income such as tithes.

6. • Their aims were to get rid of any organisations which had
special privileges and restrictions regarding employment.
• It was also to stabilize Germany’s economy by ending unfair
taxes on the less privilege and abolishing the estates of the
realm, this gives everyone a chance .
• To limit the kings power

7. • To a certain they made massive improvements to the old
system by getting rid of the estates the assembly
enabled more equality.
• Internal tariffs were abolished, so a national market was
created. Goods could the move freely. This helped by the
creation of a single system of weights and measures,
which applied to the whole of France.
• The economy benefited from free trade. There were no
more price controls.

8. • However, not all reforms changed to the better. The church had
provided what little assistance the poor had received but it could no
longer do so when its land was sold and it lost its main source of
income.
• It concluded that nearly two million people could support themselves
only by begging. When it came to taking practical measures to help
the poor the committee found itself useless.
• The assembly set up a committee which, in 1791, showed for the
first time which showed just how serious the problem was
• There was simply not enough money available to deal with such an
appalling problem, so nothing was done.

9. Some of the features of the new system were:
• In every canton there was a going to be a justice of peace which will deal with
cases previously handled by seigneurial courts.
• The justice’s main task was to persuade different parties to come to an
agreement, he could also judge minor cases such as trespass without appeal.
• A criminal courts would be found in each department, trials would be held in
public before a jury. The idea of having a jury was taken from the English law.
• At the head of the judicial system was a Court of Appeal, whose judges were
elected by the department assemblies
• All judges were elected by active citizens but only those who had been
lawyers for 5 years were allowed. This ensured that all the judges were well
qualified and accountable.
• Serious civil cases such as property disputes were dealt with in a district
court.
• The lettres de cachet was replaced by a uniform system with a justice of the
piece in which canton and a criminal court with trial by jury in each
department.

10. • The system didn't’t have a fair way of judging crimes.
• Lettres de cachet was present meaning the King had unlimited
power.
• There were no elected judges by active citizens. This never ensured
that all judges were well qualified and accountable.
What are the aims:
• A new system was put in place simply to limit the kings power.
• The idea of having a jury that represents justice and peace was taken
from English laws.
In what ways were they an improvement:
• The penal code was made humane: torture and mutilation were
abolished.
• The number of capital crimes was reduced.
• A new more efficient method of execution was introduced-the
guillotine-it was seen as more civilised.
• It replaced all other forms used on those condemned to death.

11. http://www.history.com/topics/french
-revolution
http:s//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut
dT-hA3bjU