Trybunał Ludowy jako organ wymiaru (nie)sprawiedliwości III Rzeszy

Abstract

The article describes issues related to the establishment and activity of the People's Court – a German criminal court existing in the years 1934–1945 adjudicating mainly in political cases. This paper presents and discusses the genesis and constitution of the Court, the proceedings before it, the scope of its material and local jurisdiction, and the role it played in practice. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the position of the People’s Court evolved gradually over time, and not only its composition changed, but also the scope of its jurisdiction, which was constantly being expanded to cover more and more crimes. The work is also partly devoted to the presentation of the judges adjudicating in the Court and their post-war fate. Despite the important role played by the People's Court in the justice system of the Third Reich, the subject of its existence has not been explored in detail in Polish literature. Previous publications primarily referred to foreign literature, generally omitting the analysis of legal acts. For this reason, this work uses not only the historical and legal method, but also the formal and dogmatic method, making extensive references to normative acts of statutory and sub-statutory rank constituting the basis for the activity of the Court.