1. Equality of all in the eyes of the law
2. No recognition of privileges of birth (i.e. noble rights inherited from ancestors.)
3. Freedom of religion
4. Separation of the church and the state
5. Freedom to work in an occupation of one's choice
6. Strengthening the family by:
* Placing emphasis on the husband and father as the head of the family
* Restricting grounds for divorce to three reasons: adultery, conviction of a serious crime, and grave insults, excesses or cruelty; however divorce could be granted by mutual agreement, as long as the grounds were kept private.
* Defining who could inherit the family property
The Code when in-forced did several things:
1. It preserved the social aims of the Revolution.
2. It protected the interests of the rising middle class.
3. It guaranteed civil liberties.
Although it was good in other parts, The Code did not go down very well with Children and Women. Such examples were:
1. A woman could not vote.
2. A wife owed obedience to her husband, who had total control over their property.
3. A unmarried woman had few rights and could not be a legal guardian or witness wills.
4. It was easier for a man to sue for divorce on grounds of adultery, while a man had to cohabit with his mistress for two years for his wife to justify a divorce.
5. If a man surprised his wife in bed with another man, he could kill her legally. If a woman did so, she could be tried for murder.
6. Minors had few rights. (A father could place his child in jail for up to six months.)
7. Illegitimate children had no rights of inheritance.
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