Die Ausübung der Gerichtsbarkeit gehörte immer zu den bedeutendsten Funktionen des Staates. Die Hauptaufgabe der Gerichte ist die Gewährung des Rechtsschutzes auf gesetzliche Art und Weise. Dies ergibt sich aus den Grundfunktionen des Rechtsstaates, die in der Garantie des Rechtes auf den Rechtsschutz bestehen. Jeder Mensch soll das Recht auf einen freien Zugang zu den Gerichten haben. Wenn wir dieses Problem aus historischer Sicht betrachten, stellen wir fest, dass das Recht auf Gerichtsschutz in Magna Charta Libertatum aus dem Jahre 1215 zum ersten Mal verankert wurde. Aus der Charta gehen auch weitere Verfassungsdokumente aus, vor allem Habeas Corpus Act aus dem Jahre 1679 und Bill of Rights aus dem Jahre 1689. Das Recht auf Gerichtsschutz wurde auch in den französischen und amerikanischen verfassungsrechtlichen Normen verankert. Es waren vor allem schon die französische Verfassung aus dem Jahre 1791 und die Zusatzartikel zur Verfassung der Vereinigten Staaten aus dem Jahre 1791.
Das Recht auf Gerichtsschutz beinhalten auch die bedeutendsten internationalen Dokumente. In diesem Zusammenhang ist es nötig auf Art. 8 und 10 der Allgemeinen Erklärung der Menschenrechte Aufmerksam zu machen. Sie wurde im Jahre 1948 von den Vereinten Nationen angenommen. Die in dieser Deklaration verankerten Gedanken wurden vor allem im Internationalen Pakt über bürgerliche und politische Rechte und im Internationalen Pakt über wirtschaftliche, soziale und kulturelle Rechte verankert. Das weitere völkerrechtliche Dokument, das das Recht auf Gerichtsschutz beinhaltet, ist die im Jahre 1950 im Rom abgeschlossene Europäische Menschenrechtskonvetion.
Table of Contents
1. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE JUDICIARY
1.1 CHINA
1.2 INDIA
1.3 EGYPT
1.4 MESOPOTAMIA
1.5 HITTITE EMPIRE
1.6 ISRAEL
1.7 ANCIENT GREECE
1.8 ANCIENT ROME
2. LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE MIDDLE AGES
2.1 GENERAL CHARACTERISTIC
2.2 BYZANTINE EMPIRE
2.3 FRANKISH EMPIRE
2.4 FRANCE
2.5 GERMANY
2.6 ENGLAND
2.7 ITALY
2.8 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
3. THE CURRENT ORGANIZATION OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF SELECTED COUNTRIES
3.1 ENGLAND
3.2 THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
3.3 FRANCE
3.4 GERMANY
4. INTERNATIONAL JUDICIARY
4.1 DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL JUDICIARY
4.2 INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE
4.3 INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE
4.4 EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE
4.5 EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
4.5.1 EUROPEAN CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS
4.5.2 PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY
4.5.3 SUPERVISORY MECHANISM ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL WORDING OF THE CONVENTION
4.5.4 REFORM OF THE SUPERVISION SYSTEM
4.5.5 EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS AFTER 1ST NOVEMBER 1998
4.5.5.1 Structure and organisation of the Court
4.5.5.2 Decision-making authority of the Court
4.5.5.3 Advisory power of the Court
Objectives and Themes
The work provides a comprehensive historical and contemporary analysis of the judicial systems in selected countries and the development of international judiciary. Its primary research goal is to outline the structural evolution of courts from ancient civilizations to modern democratic states, while exploring the mechanism of international human rights protection.
- Historical development of judiciary in ancient civilizations and Middle Ages.
- Comparative analysis of current judicial systems in England, USA, France, and Germany.
- Evolution and functioning of international judicial bodies like the ICJ and ECJ.
- Detailed examination of the European Court of Human Rights, its supervisory mechanisms, and reforms.
Excerpt from the Book
1. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE JUDICIARY
Resolution of disputes between individuals always belonged to the basic functions of the state, yet there is no doubt that disputes arose also in the pre-state period, in the clan society, and that they had to be resolved there as well. The priest, whom the tribe or clan believed to enter into relations with supernatural powers and interpret their wishes to the human world, had to be the first judge and investigator, as a result of the absolute belief of the period in supernatural powers of natural forces and their interference with people’s lives. The sentence he passed was irreversible. It was executed by the whole tribe, and the execution of the sentence was at the same time a religious sacrificial ritual to placate the personified natural powers – deities – that were offended by the crime.
Out of the practices of the pre-Christian period that were supposed to call the supernatural powers into the dispute can be named the so called curses, by means of which the defendants appealed to a witness of the supernatural powers and asked them to a certain action against themselves, if what they want the others to believe is not true. People often cursed the sun, which sees everything, and the land, where everything takes place.
Chapter Summary
1. THE BEGINNINGS OF THE JUDICIARY: Traces the historical origins of dispute resolution from pre-state tribal societies and religious practices to the emergence of formal courts within early state structures.
2. LEGAL SYSTEM IN THE MIDDLE AGES: Examines the fragmentation of medieval law and the resulting court structures across major European states and the Byzantine Empire.
3. THE CURRENT ORGANIZATION OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF SELECTED COUNTRIES: Provides an overview of the modern judicial hierarchies, court divisions, and administrative aspects in England, the USA, France, and Germany.
4. INTERNATIONAL JUDICIARY: Explores the rise of international courts, focusing on the International Court of Justice, criminal tribunals, and an in-depth study of the European Court of Human Rights.
Keywords
Judiciary, Legal History, Court Structure, International Law, Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights, Legal Systems, Comparative Law, Judicial Organization, Rule of Law, Sovereignty, Litigation, Precedent, Constitutional Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work examines the historical development and current organization of judicial systems, transitioning from ancient dispute resolution to contemporary international human rights jurisdiction.
Which countries are analyzed in the section on current judicial organization?
The book specifically analyzes the judicial systems of England, the United States of America, France, and Germany.
What is the main goal of the research?
The goal is to provide a structured overview of how court systems have evolved into their current forms in democratic societies and to explain the international legal mechanisms that protect human rights.
Which scientific method is applied?
The authors employ a historical-comparative method to evaluate legal evolution across different eras and jurisdictions.
What does the main body of the work address?
It covers the historical roots of the judiciary, the legal systems of the Middle Ages, the modern judicial organization of selected nations, and various international judicial bodies.
Which keywords best characterize this publication?
Key terms include Judiciary, Legal History, International Law, Human Rights, and Comparative Law.
How is the European Court of Human Rights structured?
The text explains that the Court is composed of judges equal to the number of contracting parties, divided into sections, chambers, and committees, and details its oversight of the European Convention on Human Rights.
What role does the Committee of Ministers play in the ECHR system?
The Committee of Ministers acts as the political oversight body responsible for supervising the execution of the Court's judgments.
- Quote paper
- Univ.-Doz. Karel Schelle (Author), Ilona Schelleová (Author), 2009, History and Present of Judiciary, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/128055
