the swedish court and appeal system view of the history of the court system and procedure,46 both by Baltic German authors. But for them, the eighteenth to nineteenth century law was contemporary, so this period was given much less attention than the earlier eras. Later Estonian-language historiography, in both legal and general history, is even more superficial and has added nothing particular worthy of mention. Concerning the development of the Livonian court system under the Tsarist rule, I will first consider how it was integrated with the central institutions of the Russian empire. It is relatively well-known that Peter the Great had the aim of reforming all Russian governance, including court system and procedure by following the example of Sweden.47 Somewhat less known, but still recognised, is the fact that the justice collegium established in Russia in 1717 was, in the end, not a similar institution to the Svea Court of Appeal, but rather something quite alien to the Swedish court system.48 It is rarely mentioned in the historiography of general Russian legal history, that in the beginning of the 1720s, a separate justice collegium for Livonia and Estonia was established.49 In 1734, its jurisdiction was enlarged to include all the Lutheran subjects of the Tsarist empire. In 1743, the word ”Finland” was added to the title of the collegium.50 It was an institution that functioned as the highest instance of appellation for all Livonian and Estonian higher provincial courts.51 Compared to the earlier, Swedish court system, the main difference concerned the fate of 46 Bunge, Friedrich Georg von 1874; about Russian-era court system in the Baltic provinces, pp. 302-323. 47 For a detailed account of Peter the Great’s reform plans, their enactment and failure, see: Peterson, Claes 1979 pp. 303-332. Newer studies, for example Schippan, Michael 1996 pp. 47-89 have not added anything substantial, with the exception of more accurate data about some of the persons involved. 48 See: Peterson, Claes 1979 pp. 327-332. For a more thorough account about the functions of the justice collegium, see: Schippan, Michael 1996 pp. 119-127. 49 It is, however, as an exception also discussed by Schippan, Michael 1996 pp. 124-126. He connects the separation of Livonian and Estonian justice collegium to the Nystad peace treaty. In any case, Schippan’s short overview and especially the sources he uses show that it is a rather unknown chapter in the legal history of the Baltic provinces and Russia in general. A small selection of sources not used by Schippan has been published: Geschichte des Reichsjustiz-Collegiums 1847 pp. 60-72. 50 Generally to the history of this justice collegium Amburger, Erik 1966 pp. 174-176. 230
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