BOYARDS AND SERVANTS-FROM “CRIMINAL PROCEDURES” TO “VALURI” (MOLDAVIA, 17THCENTURY)

HISTORIOGRAPHY HAS INCLUDED STUDIES ON BOYARS, SERVANTS, ON THEIR POLITICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE, AND LEGAL ATTRIBUTIONS . THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKS ON THE NOBLE FAMILIES, ON TREASON, OR ON THE OLD ROMANIAN LAW, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE RELATION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE JUSTICE THEY SHOULD HAVE SERVED? SOME SOURCES MENTION THE PRINCIPLES MEANT TO GUIDE EVERY JUDGEMENT. OTHERS SHOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY WERE OBSERVED. WERE THE BOYARS AND THEIR SERVANTS, AS WELL AS THE PRINCE’S SERVANTS, MAINLY CONCERNED WITH CATCHING AND PUNISHING THE WRONGDOERS OR WERE THEY MORE PREOCCUPIED WITH ACQUIRING FINANCIAL MEANS FOR A BETTER LIFE? THE ORGANIZATION OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM OF THAT TIME AND OF THE ENTIRE SOCIETY IMPLICITLY IS THE REFERENCE POINT FOR THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS . AMONG THE ESSENTIAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE ACT OF JUSTICE, WE MENTION THE PERSONAL CHARACTER OF THE INSTITUTIONS, THE SPATIAL ISOLATION OF MANY LOCALITIES, THE DIFFICULTIES ACCEPTING MEDIATORS TO SOLVE CONFLICTS, THE MOTIVATIONS TO GET CERTAIN JOBS OR FUNCTIONS, AND THE LACK OF A GENERAL, ACCESSIBLE WRITTEN LAW. CONSEQUENTLY, THE CONTEXT FAVOURED THOSE WITH POWER, REGARDLESS OF THE RANK, THOUGH THIS POWER WAS NOT ALWAYS USED TO THE DESIRED END .

The body of this article is intentionally hidden on the public page. Please use the PDF reader or the PDF download for the complete text.