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The existing Canon Law is profoundly marked by a codification technique adopted with the promulgation of the 1917 Code. This paper highlights the distinctive nature of the first canonical codification as compared with the codification of secular legal systems, and explores in detail the causes (both legal and ecclesiological) and consequences of this first canonical codification. The second, current canonical codification is also analyzed in light of the new juridical and ecclesiological context of the final third of the 20th century, so as to establish its exact meaning and practical use. Finally, the place of Canon Law in the broader context of the development of the Western legal tradition is also addressed. Thus, the overall purpose is to set out the positive and negative conditioning factors of a legal technique that cannot be regarded as neutral. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]