The Law of 14 Frimaire was passed on 4 December 1793, during the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
, in which power became centralized and consolidated under the
Committee of Public Safety. It stopped representatives on-mission from taking 'action' without the authority of the committee. The Law of 14 Frimaire established the ''
Bulletin des lois
The ''Bulletin des lois'' (''Bulletin of the laws'') was a publication created during the French Revolution, as an "official anthology of the laws, orders and regulations that govern" the people. It was created by the decree of 14 Frimaire of ye ...
'' which existed until 1929 as the venue in which French laws were formally published.
Counterfeiting the ''Bulletin des Lois'' was punishable by death.
proposed the law as a means to rigorously centralize power in the
National Convention
The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year Nationa ...
and its Committee of Public Safety.
This was an attempt to bring order to the
Reign of Terror and make the representatives more accountable.
References
{{Reflist
1793 events of the French Revolution
Frimaire
Frimaire () was the third month in the French Republican Calendar. The month was named after the French word ''frimas'', which means ''frost''.
Frimaire was the third month of the autumn quarter (''mois d'automne''). It started between 21 Novemb ...
Law of France