The Pskov Judicial Charter is a well-known memo of medieval law, allegedly created in Pskov in 1397 (this information is indicated in the document itself). It describes the provisions of Russian law relating to the judicial and criminal systems of those times. After studying it, you can learn about the many subtleties of the lawsuit or the penalties used for certain violations.
Pskov Judicial Charter: General Description
The document is divided into two main parts, which, in turn, consist of several sections. The first part is dedicated to the court: its types are listed, the procedure for conducting the trial is described, a description of the judicial evidence and fees is provided.
And the second part contains information about criminal offenses, the rules of lending and inheritance, conducting trade and drawing up contracts.
Let's analyze the most interesting moments.
Fines
Fines were imposed for robbery, brawl, theft, robbery and murder. The sum of money was dependent on the status of the person: for the boyar it was fifty rubles, for the “living person” - twenty, and for the “young man” - ten.
There were three types of fines that the Pskov Judicial Charter mentions: sale (a fine to the princely treasury), compensation for damage to the victim or his relatives, and court fees. The amount was large enough for those times - the poor people often did not have that much money, which made them dependent on the more affluent sections of the population: merchants, boyars, money-lenders.
State crimes
The document mentions a list of particularly serious state crimes. This is treason, invasion of the courtroom, bribery, insulting an official. All of them were punished very effectively - the death penalty.
For less serious misconduct, only one type of punishment was supposed - a variety of monetary fines. This allows us to note that the criminal law under the Pskov judicial charter was more compensatory than punitive in nature.
Types of Court
The court of the prince and the posadnik
These two positions were interrelated: none of them could judge without the presence of the other. They were representatives of two principles - state and zemstvo, which were inextricably linked. The competence of this court included the father and the head, robbery, battle and robbery.
Pskov elected judges examined cases of hiring, borrowing, inheritance, purchases, as well as land ownership. The prince participated in this process.
The bishop governor dealt with the affairs of clergy and those who belonged to the church department. Of the secular personalities, there were two bailiffs appointed by society. Litigations of church people with non-church people were dealt with by the Viceroy and the Zemsky judges.
With the help of the brotherhood's court, disputes and cases arising at the brotherly feast were resolved. The trial was conducted by an elected prince of a feast and judges based on folk customs. Only those who were satisfied obeyed his decision, while the rest could transfer the claim to the general court.
At a court of justice, all decisions were made only by the whole community. The prince and the governor were not allowed on him. However, the letter does not say exactly what cases he considered. Most likely, issues related to the entire city, as well as those that could not be solved by other means, were examined.
Despite the fact that the Pskov Judicial Charter has not reached our days, but with large omissions, it still serves as a unique source not only of the legal norms of its time, but also of the everyday life of the many sections of the population referred to in the document.