Charlemagne's system of laws were called?

Charlemagne’s system of royal laws and regulations was expressed through capitularies. These were legislative or administrative acts issued by Frankish rulers, especially Charlemagne and his Carolingian successors.

The name comes from the Latin capitula, meaning “chapters,” because the documents were divided into numbered sections. Capitularies covered a wide range of subjects, including church reform, military service, judicial procedure, education, taxation, royal administration, and the duties of officials.

They were circulated to bishops, counts, abbots, and royal representatives known as missi dominici. The missi helped communicate royal instructions and inspect how the king’s orders were being followed across the empire.

Capitularies were not a single modern-style legal code replacing every local law. Charlemagne’s empire continued to recognize different customary and regional laws, while capitularies added new rules, clarified obligations, or issued empire-wide instructions. Important examples include the Capitulary of Herstal from 779 and the Admonitio generalis from 789.