In January, a student revised with a summary “inherited” from a former student, confident and pressed for time. At the exam, he quoted the old article 1382 as if nothing had changed. And he lost points for concepts now rewritten in the new Belgian Civil Code.

A myth still circulates in the audience: “Civil law doesn't change that quickly”. Many believe that a good summary from two years ago is still reliable, especially when it has already been “used” by someone.

This myth no longer holds true, because the transformation is historic and gradual. The new Belgian Civil Code replaces the Napoleonic Code of 1804. And it renders obsolete many of the benchmarks, articles and reasoning learned before these reforms.

why the new Belgian Civil Code is changing the revision process

The first danger comes from references that no longer correspond to the current text. A synthesis may retain old article numbers, or explain a doctrine that has been deleted, and the student then memorises a rule that no longer exists.

A classic example concerns the reflexes around the old article 1382. Although the general idea of liability remains, the structure and wording have evolved, and the review awaits the logic and terms of the new Belgian Civil Code.

book 6: extra-contractual liability, new reflexes

Since 1 January 2025, Book 6 has been in force and has changed some essential points. These include the end of quasi-immunity for executing agents, and the admission of the competition of responsibilities.

In practical terms, the quality of the copy improves when it follows the new sequence. For example, the student needs to be quicker to identify which responsibilities can be combined, and how to articulate the fundamentals, rather than reciting an old grid.

book 5: obligations, a frequent source of errors

Book 5, which has been in force since 2023, remains a minefield for many. The theory of unforeseeability and the new sanctions of nullity require an active understanding, not a simple recitation of definitions.

A typical exam situation is where a contract has become too costly to perform. If the student ignores unforeseeability, he is proposing too rigid a solution, whereas the new Belgian Civil Code expects more nuanced and up-to-date reasoning.

book 9: new subjects added

In May 2025, the House passed Book 9 on personal sureties. This adds a layer of complexity to advanced courses, and makes it necessary to check that work materials cover this new framework.

Personally, it's often these “new chapters” that waste time. Students have the impression that they are revising as before, but they have to deal with more material, with recent texts that are sometimes still not fully digested.

increased pressure on the course and the January session

The Landscape Decree, fully applicable from the 2025-2026 academic year, tightens the progression. In Block 1 of the bachelor's degree, 60 credits must be validated within a maximum of two years, otherwise funding may be lost.

With major civil reforms and stricter academic rules, the January session becomes decisive. How can we remain calm if the basic tool, the summary, is no longer reliable?

how to avoid costly mistakes

The best approach is to start from the current text and the outline of the course, then reconstruct your understanding. Exchanges between students are still useful, but may be limited if some of them learned the “old law” before the 2023 and 2025 reforms.

To make revision more secure, students can adopt a simple method, based on the new Belgian Civil Code, and check each sensitive concept with an up-to-date source.

• Check the year of the summary, then check the articles cited.
• Work on the new features in Book 6 with short case studies.
• Review unforeseeability and the nullities of Book 5 with examples.
• Identify what Book 9 adds and what changes in the plan.
• Prepare a “frequent errors” sheet based on corrections and feedback.

The next step is simple: resume its course, To do this, we need to identify the points that have been reformed and replace any doubtful summaries. In revision, every correct reference to the new Belgian Civil Code can make a difference, especially when every credit counts.