Popularity isn't everything

For all the popularity of Hammurabi’s collection, it is never cited in a court document as providing the basis for the judge’s decision. In our world judges make decisions based on precedents of legal rulings that have withstood scrutiny and based on legislation that has been enacted by a country’s legislative body. Rulings have to be documented and supported by evidence from the written records. In contrast, judges in the ancient world did not issue their verdicts by making reference to documents that had been produced for that purpose. Instead, they depended on custom and wisdom. When those were inadequate, divine oracles would be sought (note Moses’ procedure in Ex 18).—Walton and Walton, The Lost World of the Torah, 30