Valsčiaus teismas XIX a. antroje pusėje: duoklė valstiečių teisiniam atsilikimui ar modernėjimo pamoka?

In this article the author attempts to answer the question of what role was played by the volost' court, which was integrated into the peasant self-governance model, in the transformation of the post-serfdom village. The research was complicated by the scarce availability of volost' court documentation from before this court’s reform in 1889, which only began in the Northwest Provinces in 1903. Nonetheless, the surviving activity reviews of volost' administration and peace arbitrators, peasants’ complaints, the few remaining volost' court judgement and sentencing books from the chosen period, officials’ reports, correspondence, press publications and alike do allow identifying the problems that arose with the peasantry’s integration into the modernising society. Officials’ reports show that the government’s prime concern was whether volost' courts were abiding by procedural requirements and were not violating the boundaries of their competence. Following the vaguely understood customary law, the volost' court would tolerate self-government officials’ interference into its work and the bribing of judges. The peasantry soon grew accustomed to "its own" court, and would address it regarding complicated relations within the immediate and extended family or community, and seek the implementation of court judgements. However, the volost' court was intended for resolving limited infringements within the nomenclature, and given that it was a local institution it hardly contributed to the modernisation of the village, while the nature of the volost' court’s activities forced the government and society to raise questions about its reform or dissolution.