Decisions of the Samogitian Court in the First Decade of the Seventeenth Century

Abstract

The article examines several types of legal dispute resolutions in Samogitian castle and land courts in the first decade of the seventeenth century. These are non-appear­ance decisions and reconciliations between litigants. Dozens of examples from castle and land courts are provided. The ways of arriving at the court decisions discussed were measures aimed at accelerating the administration of justice, which was not quick enough due to endless disputes, appeals, or postponement of cases in the courts of Samogitia. Reconciliation was often achieved on the eve of oaths in court. At the same time, efforts were made to reduce the enormous workload of the courts in the region.