Description
Book SynopsisThis book explores the complete history of Serbian law in the Middle Ages, covering the 12th to the 15th centuries, which until now has been largely unstudied in international scholarship. Firmly rooted in primary source research and showing strong awareness of the contemporary historical context, this comprehensive study examines different types of law – such as criminal law, constitutional law, and civil law – and the various legal systems and procedures in place during this time, offering a valuable synthesis while also presenting new views and novel interpretations of Serbian legal history.
Table of ContentsPreface Abbreviations Part 1 Background and Sources 1 Historical Background 2 Sources 1 Legal Sources 2 Other Sources 3 The Concept of Law 1 Roman and Byzantine Concept 2 Serbian Concept Part 2 The Law of Persons Classification of Persons 4 Noblemen (Vlastela, Властели) 1 Name 2 Social Status 3 Division 5 Commoners (Sebri, Себри) 1 Name and Division 2 Villagers (meropsi, меропси) 3 Dependent Shepherds—Vlachs (Власи, Βλάχοι) 4 Slaves 5 Dependent Craftsmen and So-called Sokalnici (сокалници) 6 Parish Priests (seoski popovi, попови) 6 Townsmen (Građani, Грагꙗни, Граждани) 1 Name and Division 2 Towns in the Interior of Serbia 3 Maritime Towns 4 Towns Conquered from Byzantium 7 Foreigners (Stranci, Странци) 1 Ragusan Merchants 2 German Miners (sasi, саси) 3 Other Foreigners Part 3 Constitutional Law 8 Constitutional Ideology 1 Dušan’s Law Code—Constitution or Not? 2 The Idea of Rome and Hierarchical World Order 3 Duties of the Emperor 4 Concordance or “Symphonia” between the Church and State 5 Concept of the State 9 Organization of Power 1 Monarch 2 Court Dignitaries 3 Councils (državni sabori, съборь, зборь) 4 Local Administration 10 Serbian Orthodox Church 1 Foundation 2 Organization 3 Legal Acts 4 Proclamation for a Patriarchate 5 Conflict and Reconciliation with Constantinople 6 Legal Position Part 4 Civil Law 11 Natural Persons (Individuals) and Legal Persons (Entities) 1 Natural Persons (Individuals) 2 Legal Persons (Entities) 12 The Law of Property 1 The Concept of a “Thing” 2 Division of Things 3 Ownership 4 Acquisition of Ownership 5 Rights over the Property of Another (Iura in re aliena) 13 The Law of Obligations 1 The Concept of Obligation 2 Contracts 14 The Law of Wills and Succession 1 Testate and Intestate Succession 2 Intestate Succession (ἡ κληρονομία ἐξ ἀδιαθέτου) 3 Testate Succession 15 Family Law 1 Marriage (γάμος, nuptiae, matrimonium, бракь) 2 Matrimonial Property 3 Dissolution of Marriage 4 Extended Family (So-called Zadruga, Задруга) Part 5 Criminal Law 16 Crime 1 Byzantine Concept of Crime 2 Serbian Concept of Crime and the Oldest Expressions 3 Crime as Madness or Insanity 17 Culprit 1 Individual and Collective Criminal Liability 2 The Concept of Guilt 3 Mens Rea 4 Mental Capacity or Competence 5 Accomplices 18 Punishment 1 Capital Punishment 2 Corporal Punishments 3 Pecuniary Punishments or Fines 4 Confiscation and Exile 5 Imprisonment 6 Spiritual Sentences 7 Loss of Honour and Disqualification from Holding an Office 8 The Right of Asylum (Greek ἄσυλον, ἀσυλία, Latin asylum or refugium = shelter, refuge) 9 Acts of Grace 19 Crimes against the State and Sovereign 1 Treason 2 Disobedience to the Sovereign’s Orders 3 Forgery of Charters 4 Other Crimes against the State and Sovereign 20 Crimes against the Judicial System 1 So-called “Samosud” 2 Contumacy 3 Refusal of Judge’s Envoy or Clerk (So-called ѡтбои) 21 Crimes against Public Peace and Order 1 Violation of Immunity Rights (посилиѥ, насилиѥ, ꙃабава) 2 Noblemen’s Violent Measures against Commoners 3 Villagers’ Reprisal 4 Commoner’s Council 5 A Fugitive Serf 22 Crimes against the Church and Religion 1 Renunciation of Orthodoxy 2 Heresy 3 Conversion to Catholicism and Catholic Propaganda 4 Pagan Relicts 23 Crimes against the Person 1 Homicide (φόνος, оубїиство) 2 Mayhem 3 Battery 4 Rape (βιασμός, raptus, нꙋжда) 5 Injury (ἀδικία) 24 Crimes against Morality 1 Abduction (ἄρπαξ, хыщьниЕБе) 2 Fornication (πορνεία, блоудь) 3 Adultery (μοιχεία, прѣлюбодѣиство) 4 Bigamy 5 Abominable and Detestable Crimes against Nature 6 Incest 25 Crimes against Property 1 Larceny (κλέμμα, κλοπή, furtum, татьба, крагꙗ) 2 Sacrilege (sacrilegium, ἰεροσυλία, свештен’нотат’ство) 3 Robbery (ἀρπαγή, latrocinium, гоуса) 4 Rapine (rapina) 5 Arson (ἐμπρησμός, палежь, запалѥнїе) 6 Brawl (So-called “Potka”, Пот’ка) 7 Straying (Popaša, Попаша) Part 6 Court System and Trial Procedure 26 Court System and Jurisdiction 1 Feudal Courts 2 Ecclesiastical Courts (“Court Christian”, Curia Christianitatis) 3 City Courts 4 So-called “Stanak” (Stanicum) 5 Sovereign’s (King’s, Tsar’s) Court 6 Organization of Justice 27 Trial Procedure 1 Main Characteristics 2 Stages of a Trial 3 Types of Evidence 4 Jury (porota, порота) 5 The Judgment Pronounced by the Court or Judge and Its Execution 6 Trial Procedure in Semiautonomous Towns References Index
