Codification is the process of collecting and restating the law of a jurisdiction in certain areas, usually by subject, forming a legal code, i.e. a codex of law). In common law systems, codification is the process of converting and consolidating judge-made law or uncodified statutes enacted by the legislature into statute law). The codification of law helps identify inconsistent, duplicate, and/or ambiguous laws, and creates a uniform source that is easy to access for both professionals and the lay public. Codification can also involve reformulating and rewriting existing codified statutes into a new codified structure, a process known as recodification).
Codification is essential for efficient and good government, as it provides both local governments and citizens with a body of current, enforceable regulations, in a way that makes the law easy to use and reference. It also helps to ensure that the law is up-to-date and clearly written, and that all current ordinances on a given subject are contained in one area of the code, making enforcement easier.
