Ku ustanowieniu sądu ultimae instantiae. Laudum sejmiku województwa podlaskiego z 1577 r.

Abstract

Presented in a historical context, the document of 1577 reflects the last phase of the nobility’s drive to establish a supreme court. Previously, the court was the prerogative of the king, who examined cases from across the state during the sessions of the diet. This was inefficient. The ever-increasing backlog of pending appeals caused dissatisfaction among the nobility. Disputes and discussions revolved around its form (central authority – the Tribunal, or a decentralized form – ultimae instantiae courts), its composition and method of selecting judges, as well as its scope of authority. The Podlasie province, newly incorporated (in 1569) into the Polish Crown, participated in the process, uniting its forces with the Sandomierz and Lublin provinces at the forefront of the battle for the court of appeal. The decentralized form of the court, described in the document, was treated as a temporary institution. Also, it was intended as a way to put pressure on the king and the parliament to establish a central court of appeal. In the course of these activities, the nobility of Podlasie led to the consolidation of the fourth assembly (Polish: sejmik), a provincial one (in addition to the existing three assemblies (Polish: sejmiki ziemskie,). The 1578 Sejm resolution on the establishment of the Crown Court met the claims of the nobility of the Podlasie province (as well as from other provinces) stated in the document. The supreme court was established. At the same time, this decision led to the stabilization of the operation of the assembly of Podlasie. Its main function was the annual election of judges to the Tribunal. The resolution is a testimony to the political maturity and high standards of legal decorum of the Podlasie nobility.