The Great Seal of the Svea Court of Appeal of 1614 insignia of independence – martin sunnqvist 359 The Svea Court of Appeal was established in 1614 through the Ordinance of Judicial Procedure issued at the Diet in Örebro early that year.1045 The appointment letter of the judges was issued on 16 February, 1614.1046 On 23 June 1615, the Procedural Rules for the Court of Appeal were issued.1047 According to Article 13 of the Procedural Rules, the secretary of the court should keep the seal and use it on all letters and judgements from the court.1048 The seal had been discussed earlier, however; in a letter of 28 June, 1614, the judges referred to the fact that the court needed a seal and asked the King to explain what seal was to be used.1049 Then, in a later letter of 30 June, 1614, they asked the Chancellor, Count Axel Oxenstierna (15831654), to ask the King what seal was to be used.1050 They referred to the Procedural Rules, which were used in a preliminary version before they were issued the next year.1051 In the meantime, until a seal was made, the court used the personal seal of the president, Count Magnus Brahe (15641633).1052 The first known example of the seal of the Svea Court of Appeal is from 1 September 1614,1053 attached to the court’s owndecision on fees to be paid for judgements and copies. The legend is Sigillum Supremi in Regno Sveciæ Iudicii, seal of the supreme court in the Kingdom of Sweden. On the seal is a shield, parted per pale, on the dexter a sword, on the sinister apair of scales. The scales arenot in balance. The shield is surrounded 1045 Rättegångs-Ordinantie (1614), inKongl. stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, pp. 133-141. 1046 Fullmacht för Konungens Domhafwande, 16 February 1614, inKongl. stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, pp. 141-143. 1047 Rättegångs-Process, 23 June 1615, inKongl. Stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, pp. 143-163. 1048 Rättegångs-Process, 23 June 1615, inKongl. Stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, pp. 151-152. Two different words for “seal” are used in the text; the secretary should keep theInsegleand the judgements and letters should be sealed with theSecrete of the court. Even if these two words refer to different types of seal, sigillumand secretum(cf. Grandjean, Poul Bredo 1944 p. 35), both words seem to refer to the same seal. 1049 RA, SHA, B I a:1, fol. 16r. 1050 RA, SHA, B I a:1, fol. 18r. 1051 See Almquist, J.E. 1940 pp. 477-478. See in detail Korpiola, Mia above, pp. 77-79. 1052 E.g. RA, SHA, B I a:1, Judgement on 22 July 1614, fol. 18r. See also, as regards judgements on this level from other time periods, Sandeman, fol. 2v. 1053 RA, SHA, E I:1b, Sandeman ref. fol. 32r. see illustration 1, 4, 5 & 6, pages 383-388
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