A sejm court () was a Polish judicial body that existed during the First Polish Republic. The sejm court was used as a means to "judge crimes against the nation and the king."

Role and composition

According to historian Edward Opaliński, the Sejm court was an "integral part of the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

", with the court wielding authority over "both appellant and trying gravest crimes." However, Opaliński notes that the Sejm court was permitted to act "only in the course of parliamentary debates; after they ended, its activity ceased." The court sat in cases of

impeachment Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Eur ...

– in the words of the May 3 Constitution of 1791 (article VIII: the judicial authority) – of government " ministers ..charged with breach of law by a deputation designated to examine their deeds .." The composition and functioning of sejm courts were spelled out in an act of the Sejm passed on May 13, 1791.

References

Defunct courts

Court A court is an institution, often a government entity, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between Party (law), parties and Administration of justice, administer justice in Civil law (common law), civil, Criminal law, criminal, an ...

Legal history of Poland {{Lithuania-hist-stub