Court in Medieval Russia: Pskov Court Charter

Pskov Court Charter is a famous memorial of medieval law, presumably 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 system of those times. Having studied it, you can find out about many subtleties of the judicial process or about the measures of punishments used for those or other violations.

Pskov Court Charter: General Characteristics

The document is divided into two main parts, which, in turn, consist of several sections. The first part is devoted to the court: its types are listed, the order of the court is described, the judicial evidence and fees are described.

And in the second part information on criminal offenses, rules of crediting and inheritance, conducting of trade and drawing up of contracts are collected.

Let's analyze the most interesting moments.

Penalties

Fines were imposed for robbery, fights, theft, robbery and murder. The money amount was dependent on the status of the person: for the boyar it was fifty rubles, for "living his person" - twenty, and for the "young man" - ten.

There were three types of fines mentioned by the Pskov court charter: sale (fine to the treasury), compensation for damage to the victim or his relatives and court fees. The amount was quite large for those times - the poor people often had so much money that made them dependent on the wealthier strata of the population: merchants, boyars, moneylenders.

State crimes

The document mentions a list of particularly serious state crimes. This is a high treason, an invasion of the courtroom, a bribe, an insult to an official. All of them were punished very effectively - the death penalty.

For less serious offenses, only one type of punishment was envisaged: various monetary fines. This makes it possible to note that the criminal law on the Pskov court literacy was more compensatory than punitive.

Types of court

The court of the prince and the posadnik

The two posts were interrelated: none of them could be judged without the presence of another. They were representatives of two principles - state and zemsky, which were inextricably linked. The competence of this court included Tatba and head, robbery, combat and robbery.

Pskov elected judges considered cases of hiring, loans, inheritances, purchases, as well as land ownership. In this process, the prince participated.

The lordly governor examined the affairs of clergymen and those who belonged to the church department. From secular personalities there were two bailiffs appointed by the society. The lawsuits of church people with non-church officials were dealt with by the governor-in-law and zemstvo judges.

With the help of the court of the Bratchina, disputes and cases that arose at the brothel feast were decided. The court was made by the elected prince of the feast and the judges on the basis of folk customs. His decision was submitted only to those who were satisfied, and the rest could transfer the claim to the general court.

In court, all decisions were taken only by the whole community. The prince and vicegerent were not allowed to enter it. However, the letter does not say which cases he considered. Most likely, they were dealing with issues that affected the whole city, as well as those that could not be solved by other means.

Despite the fact that the Pskov court charter has not reached the present day, but with large passes, it still serves as a unique source not only of the legal norms of its time, but also of the daily life of the numerous layers of the population that are discussed in the document.