a safe haven in the shadow of war? – mia korpiola 63 their cases directly to the king. This obviously burdened the royal Chancery and created confusion. But maintaining and guaranteeing justice had been one of the paramount tasks of kings ever since the Middle Ages, and the ability and willingness to do so reflected on the reputation of the king and the loyalty he could lawfully command from his subjects. Yet, in his authorization of the new tribunal, the king presented the situation as almost being compelled to do (wij förorsackede wordne) something because of the endless and increasing complaints of the people. When King Gustav II Adolf issued an authorization (fullmacht) for his judge-assignee and appointed the delegated panel of judges a week after the Diet of Örebro had ended, he blamed the wars in particular for the unsatisfactory situation of the administration of justice. He claimed that lawful court sessions and assizes had been neglected for some time because of “great inconveniences, especially war” (för mÿckin beswärligheett, särdeles Feigdh och Örlig skuldh waritt försummedhe), so that “soon the complaints of our subjects will be never-ending (på Vndersåthernes klagmååll snartt ingen ändhe finnes).”149 The 1614 Ordinance contained expressions of the urgent and paramount needs of the Realm (Rijksens högnödige ärender; Rijksens walfärd[!]skuld; Rijksens wärd och bijstånd) and depicted the King providing his subjects with good governance and policy when he arranged the use of his judicial powers during his absence from the capital.150 As the best interests of the Realm were perceived to be mainly in the Baltic theatre of war for a long period in 1614, the new court was to be on call in Stockholm to respond to the needs of the people. Simultaneously during the Diet of Örebro, the Councillors of the Treasury (Cammerådh) were authorized by the King to resolve the complaints and petitions (klagemål och beswäringar) concerning the financial matters 149 RA, SHA, E I:1a. See also the printed Fullmacht för Konungens Domhafwande att besittia och bekläde Konungzdomen i Stockholm, Ulfwesund, 16 Feb. 1614 (hereafter Act of Authorization from GustavII Adolf to the Court of Appeal), Kongl. stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, p. 141, the reading of which (Krijg och Örlig skull warit försummade […] på Vndersåternes klagomål snart ingen ände finnes) differs slightly from that of the original and represents a more modernized spelling. 150 Rättegångs-Ordinantie Kongl. (1614), inKongl. stadgar, ed. Schmedeman, p. 137: “Til thet Tijonde […] Dock althenstund wij för andre Rijksens hödnödige ärender så och margfallige[!] Beswär skuld icke altijdh siefwe Personligen alle Rättegångs Saker kunne bijwista effter som wij och för Rijksens walfärd[!] skuld icke altijdh kunne blifwa på itt ställe vthan måste effter frijdh som feigde tijder kräfia oss ther han förfoge ther wij förnimme wår närwaru til Rijkens wärn och bijstånd mäst wele behöfwes.”
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