An inquiry into the evolution of Spanish Mercantile Law and its concept throughout history

Abstract

Mercantile Law, its concept and its sources have evolved throughout history. This paper will try to establish a relationship between the socio-political, economic and ideological changes and the changes in the concept of mercantile law from its emergence in the Middle Ages until the Spanish Codification in 1885. To this end, we will compare our own advances with those of other European countries, as they have had a very important influence on the development of mercantile law at a global level. Finally, an analysis will be made from a current point of view of the necessary separation of mercantile law from civil law, based on the example of contracts of purchase and sale.