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Which parts of secular law were influenced by canon law?

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First Council of Nicaea — canon law Council of Nicaea in 325, depicted in a Byzantine fresco in the basilica of St. Nicholas in Demre, Turkey.

Canon law has exerted a profound influence on the development of secular law and jurisprudence, particularly in regions shaped by Western legal traditions and Protestantism. Many foundational concepts in modern legal systems trace their origins to the work of medieval canonists.1

Areas of secular law significantly influenced by canon law include:

Marriage Law: Canon law transformed marriage from a terminable civil contract into a sacred union, establishing principles such as the necessity of free and mutual consent. Modern Western marriage laws, including those in the United States, remain rooted in these canonical foundations, though they have been modified to reflect contemporary social conditions.2
Legal Institutions and Concepts: Canon law influenced the law of obligations, the doctrine of modes of property acquisition, possession, wills, and the status of legal persons.1
Procedural Law: Both the law of criminal procedure and the rules concerning proof or evidence were shaped by canonical practices.1
International Law and Governance: The origins of international law are attributed to canonists and theologians. Furthermore, the modern concept of the state evolved from medieval canonical ideas regarding the constitution of the church.1