the svea court of appeal in the early modern period 364 gria.1071 Justitia sat above the compartment, holding a sword and unbalanced scales. At her sides stoodPax, holding an olive branch, andVeritas, holding a light. Above all was a royal crown. The seal of the Göta Court of Appeal in Jönköping1072 had the legend: Sigillum Supremi Iudicii in Regno Gothico. In the middle of the circular seal was arisingJustitiawith sword and balance. Above her was a shield, crowned with a royal crown, and with the arms of the second and third quarter of the national coat-of-arms, at that time considered to represent Götaland. Below Justitia were shields representing Västergötland, Småland, Öland, Dalsland, Värmland and Östergötland. The High Council had a function similar to the function the Svea Court of Appeal had later, in the sense that it should act as the King’s court. In 1563, it was explained that a judgment of the High Council should “be as valid as if the illustrious Royal Majesty himself in his Royal person had been there and delivered it”.1073 One important difference was that the Svea Court of Appeal should reside in Stockholm permanently,1074 whilst the High Council was also an itinerant court hearing cases at Candlemas 1071 We might wonder why these coats-of-arms were chosen. Livonia and Ingria were undoubtedly under the jurisdiction of this court, whilst the position of Carelia is less clear. Part of Carelia was already a Swedish province when the remainder, under the nameKexholms län(county of Kexholm), came under the Swedish crown with the peace in Stolbova 1617. This part, together with Livonia and Ingria, was under the governorgeneral Johan Skytte from 1629 and was not considered part of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Thus, even thoughKexholms länhad its own coat-of-arms, it must be this part whichwas represented by the arms of Carelia in the seal. Cf. Liljedahl, Ragnar 1933 pp. 273, 302, and Meurling 1967 p. 46. Four years later, with the Instrument of Government of 1634, art. 8, the Åbo Court of Appeal obtained jurisdiction over the Grand Duchy of Finland and “both Carelias” (bägge Carelerne) and the Dorpat Court of Appeal over Livonia and Ingria. In 1684, Ingria, including Narva, was transferred to the Åbo Court of Appeal; see Meurling 1967 pp. 211-213. 1072 See, e.g., RA, SHA, E II 2b 2:1, Skrivelser från Göta hovrätt, letters from 1637 and 1638. See also Sunnqvist, Martin 2013 pp. 4-7. 1073 “[G]älle lika som högb:te Kungl. Maj:t själv uti egen Kungl. person tillstädes vore och det avsagt hade,” Rosén, Jerker 1955 p. 26, quoting an instruction from 1563. 1074 Arts. 7-8, 1614 Ordinance of Judicial Procedure, Rättegångs-Ordinantie (1614), inKongl. stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, p. 136, and art. 1, the 1615 Procedural Rules for the Court of Appeal, in Kongl. Stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, p. 144. Does the Seal of the Svea Court of Appeal Mark Distance or Continuity in Relation to the Seal of the High Council?
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