Legal application of the “Court law for the people” in Kievan Rus

The “Court Law for the People” (Zakon Sudnyi Liudem) is a little-studied monument of law, which, according to the article, was used by the law enforcement bodies in Ancient Rus. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it contains norms for both civil and ecclesiastical proceedings. The archaic nature of legal forms made it convenient for both church and civil authorities of Kievan Rus, as shown by parallels in the ancient Russian monuments of the second and third quarters of the eleventh century. The article also gives examples when the norms of the “Court Law for the People” were applied, or their application was reflected in the book or national memory: in the situation of Dudiki's punishment in the history of the trial of Bishop Luka Zhidyata and Hegumen Polikarp of Kiev Pechersky; the history of attempted reprisals by “veche” against St. Avraamiy Smolensky; in the history of the Monk Moisey Ugrin and in the image of the Monk Iliya of Murom; the elimination of the bigamy of Prince Yaroslav Osmomysl. Te “Court Law for the People” certainly had parallels with the early Old Russian princely legislation on the Church. Examples of the preference of the “Court Law for the People” can also be found in the “Tale of Bygone Years” in a story about the execution of robbers by Prince Vladimir and the persecution of the Wizards by Jan Vyshatich