Tsar Ivan IV, uniting his loyal people, formed a new government. It became known as the "Chosen Council." This government included some Old Moscow boyars and nobles who were interested in the rise of Moscow.
Activities of the "Chosen One
The policy of the new government was aimed primarily at centralizing the state, reconciling the interests of the boyars, clergy and nobles. At the beginning of 1549, representatives of the upper classes of society gathered in the Kremlin Palace. At that “Council of Reconciliation,” the tsar delivered an accusatory speech to the boyars. Ivan IV said that representatives of the upper classes were abusing their position, and urged them to combine their efforts in strengthening Russia. The following meetings were devoted to solving the most important issues of the state. In Russia of that period, an estate-representative form of the monarchy was formed.
Judicial Code of Ivan the 4th
This document has become a monument to Russian law, the first regulatory act in the history of Russia. Judicial Code of Ivan 4 was adopted at the first Zemsky Sobor, in 1549. Two years later, in 1551, the document was approved by the Stoglavy Cathedral, convened at the initiative of the king. The normative legal act had, as a whole, a pro-state orientation. The adoption of Judicial Code of Ivan the 4th meant the elimination of certain privileges of the specific princes and the strengthening of the role of the central legal bodies of the state. One hundred articles were collected in the document.
Judicial Code of Ivan 4. Contents: restriction of local authority
The activity of volostelites and governors was put into a certain framework: the affairs of the “led robbers” were transferred to the labial elders. Thus, the boundaries of the reform, which previously covered only the northern counties, were expanded. Law Code of Ivan the 4th legally substantiated the changes. Volostels, governors and other rulers appointed by the king to the places could not consider cases without the participation of authorized representatives from the population. Elected were the best people from the peasant community, the elder and the court. In addition to them, each local community should have had its own Zemsky clerk. His competence included conducting affairs of volost people. As the Judicial Code of Ivan the 4th punished, to be present at the proceedings, elected people had to be sworn in.
Social reform
In order to better strengthen the public base of state power, the rights of representatives of the service class began to expand. So, for example, the Code of Law of Ivan the 4th forbade the transition of servants to enslaving servitude. In addition, great importance was attached to the regulation of relations between dependent peasants and feudal lords; Yuriev Day was legally established. In a way, the state tried to expand peasant rights. Dependent people got the opportunity to participate in public affairs, investigation, legal proceedings. At the same time, the governors, neither during the consideration of the case, nor before him, could arrest the peasant without the permission of the elected community chiefs, kissers and elders. Law Code of Ivan the 4th gave the peasant community the right to lay taxes, supervise order, and self-government.
New opportunities for peasants
The lawsuit affirmed the right of dependent people to free transition. The article governing this right explicitly states that there are no other fees other than payments for the "cart" and the "elderly". In other words, for the peasant to make a free transfer, there is no need to make any settlements with the owner, except for the specified payments. The gentleman, in turn, does not have the right to withhold the people who paid these two duties. Forced conversion of peasants to slaves was prohibited by law. The transition was allowed even if the owner paid all the debts of the dependent.
Stratification penalty system
Law Code of Ivan the 4th provided protection for the honor of members of society. But the fines for dishonor had differences. For the insult to the peasant, the payment was 1 ruble, the posadsky man 5, the paramount merchant 50, the clerk 200, the boyar 600. The woman was paid twice as much as the man of the same rank.
Cases and evidence
Entangled proceedings before legislation could be resolved through a duel between the disputing parties. Who won the “field”, he, respectively, was considered the winner of the case. The court of law such a method of proceedings was limited by a number of conditions. So, for example, there was no “field” between the “fighter and non-fighter”. For the latter, a sick, young or elderly person was taken. Exceptions could be cases where the “non-fighter" himself expressed a desire to participate in the field. It was also allowed to send “a hirelings” instead of himself. It should be said that the “field” according to Sudebnik could be arranged not only to resolve the dispute, but also to clarify the veracity of the testimonies of witnesses.