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2016 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel

14. Conflicts, Tensions and Solidarity Within the Judicial District: A Socio-Professional Study of the Judiciary of the “Belgian” Departments Under the French Directory (1795–1799)

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on one of the novelties introduced by the French Revolution in the Belgian judicial landscape: the judicial district. It focuses in particular on the identity of judges and prosecutors serving under the French Directory. It then analyses the criminal practices of the latter through the execution in the Belgian departments of legislation on the religious police and specifically the issue of non-juror priests.

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Fußnoten
1
E. Berger (dir.), L’acculturation des modèles policiers et judiciaires français en Belgique et aux Pays-Bas (17951815), Brussels, Archives générales du Royaume, 2010.
 
2
X. Rousseaux, M.-S. Dupont-Bouchat and C. Vael (dir.), Révolutions et justice pénale en Europe. Modèles français et traditions nationales (17301830), Paris, L’Harmattan, 1999.
 
3
F. Stevens, “Het tribunal criminel te Antwerpen (19 September 1794–19 februari 1795). Een nieuwe ‘Bloed Raed’ op het einde van de 18e eeuw?”, in Acta Falconis, 1983, 83, pp. 176–221.
 
4
A. Tixhon, “L’activité du tribunal correctionnel de Namur durant la période française (an IV—1814)”, in Annales de la société archéologique de Namur, 1998, vol. 72, pp. 291–341.
 
5
J. Logie, Les magistrats des cours et des tribunaux en Belgique (17941914), Geneva, Librairie Droz S.A., 1998.
 
6
X. Rousseaux and J.-P. Nandrin, “Le personnel judiciaire en Belgique à travers les révolutions (1780–1832). Quelques hypothèses de recherches et premiers résultats”, in Le personnel politique dans la transition de l’Ancien Régime au Nouveau Régime en Belgique (17801830), Kortrijk, Anciens Pays et Assemblées d’Etat, 1993, pp. 13–69.
 
7
E. Berger, La justice pénale sous la Révolution. Les enjeux d’un modèle judiciaire libéral, Rennes, Presses universitaires de Rennes, 2008.
 
8
See the contribution of Aurore François and Françoise Muller in this volume.
 
9
J. Logie, Les magistrats des cours et tribunaux en Belgique (17941814). Essai d’approche politique et sociologique, PhD thesis for Université Paris IV, prosopographical index, 1995. The data were encoded under the direction of Catherine Goffin (C. Goffin, ‘Les magistrats dans les départements réunis sous le Directoire (an IV-an VIII): Un corps social à part entière?’ in E. Berger (dir.), L’acculturation des modèles policiers et judiciaires français en Belgique et aux Pays-Bas (17951815), Brussels, Archives générales du Royaume, 2010, pp. 99–108).
 
10
Berger, La justice pénale…, pp. 24–27.
 
11
Ibid.
 
12
Just over half (58 %) of judges refused their appointments (Logie, Les magistrats des cours …, p. 117).
 
13
Ibid., p. 172.
 
14
Ibid., p. 111.
 
15
Ibid., p. 219.
 
16
I.e., 16 out of 94 jury directors.
 
17
I.e., 10 out of 27 government commissioners.
 
18
Ibid., p 236
 
19
Ibid., pp. 143–144.
 
20
Ibid., prosopographical index, pp. 339–340.
 
21
Desmyter’s first name is not known.
 
22
The other judges are Edem Bourdault (dept. Haute-Marne) in the legal district of Antwerp, Jean-René Maloigne (dept. Seine) in the legal district of Nivelles, Pierre-Alexandre Lefèbvre (dept. Somme) in the legal district of Brussels-interior and Etienne Arbeltier (dept. Haute-Marne) in the legal district of Mechelen.
 
23
The three correctional court commissioners from other departments are: Etienne Martin Chompré (born in Paris), commissioner in Mons and then Aalst; Jean Antoine Chaix (born in Geneva and then a lawyer in Paris), commissioner in Mons; and Antoine Jean Bazire Lacoudraye (dept. of Vienne), commissioner in Ghent.
 
24
Ibid., propoposographical index, pp. 40–41
 
25
I.e., 175 out of 202 judges.
 
26
I.e., 118 out of 202 judges.
 
27
Ibid., p. 236.
 
28
I.e., 58 of the 70 jury directors whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
29
I.e., 45 of the 70 jury directors whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
30
I.e., 36 of the 42 jury directors whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
31
I.e., 8 of the 16 jury directors whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
32
Not one of the 10 jury directors whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
33
Ibid., p. 237.
 
34
I.e., 19 of the 23 government commissioners to the correctional courts whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
35
I.e., 13 of the 23 government commissioners to the correctional courts whose place of residence I have been able to determine.
 
36
Note that two of the commissioners are French: Jean Jacques Bernard Laroche (leg. distr. Louvain, dept. Dyle) and Etienne Martin Chompré (leg. distr. Aalst, dept. Scheldt).
 
37
Art. 644 of the Code of Offences and Penalties (Code des délits et des peines): “guilty of misconduct in public office (…): 4°. Any judge interfering with the exercise of legislative power, by making regulations, or stopping or suspending the execution of the law within his jurisdiction.”
 
38
On the De Hase case and the problem of non-juror priests, see: E. Berger, “La justice républicaine face aux prêtres insermentés sous le Directoire. Le cas des 9 départements belges”, in E. Wenzel (dir.) Justice et religion. Regards croisés: histoire et droit, Editions universitaires d’Avignon, 2010, pp. 57–69; J.-L. Halpérin, “Cassation et dénonciation pour forfaiture dans les départements réunis sous le Directoire”, in R. Martinage and J.-P. Royer (dir.), Justice et institutions françaises en Belgique (1795/1815). Traditions et innovations autour de l’annexion. Actes du colloque tenu à l’université de Lille II les 1, 2 et 3 juin 1995, Lille, L’Espace juridique, 1996, pp. 245–258.
 
39
A law graduate, Lemoine was a member of the municipality of Herve in Year III. He was appointed deputy judge of the Civil Court of Ourthe on 27 Frimaire Year IV and served as effective judge until the elections of the year V. Re-elected in Germinal, Lemoine continued to hold office throughout the Directory. Appointed judge at Huy in Brumaire Year IX then at Liège in Nivôse, he died on 27 March 1807 (Logie, Les magistrats des cours … prosopographical index, p. 234). Ippersiel was a former lawyer at the Council of Brabant who was chief clerk at the Central and Higher Administration of Belgium. Appointed judge of the Court of Dyle on 28 Frimaire Year IV, he was re-elected in Year V and sat, like Lemoine, until the end of the Directory. He continued his career until his death in 1830, occupying successively the functions of president of the Court of Nivelles (Year VIII), of Brussels (Year VIII) and counsellor to the Imperial Court of Brussels (1813) (Logie, Les magistrats des cours … prosopographical index, p. 204).
 
40
With the exception of Deux-Nèthes, populated by Jacobin judges, the other Belgian departments consisted mostly of conservative and moderate Republicans (Logie, Les magistrats des cours …, p. 239).
 
41
Ibid., proposographical index, pp. 284–285.
 
42
Letter addressed to the justice of the peace of the legal canton of Ath on 25 Prairial Year V (AE Mons, fonds du tribunal correctionnel de Mons, registre de correspondances du directeur de jury de Mons no. 8, lettre no. A237).
 
43
Letter to Justice Minister Merlin dated 12 Fructidor Year V (AN BB18 400/DD4218).
 
44
Letter to public prosecutor Joseph Giraud dated 27 Prairial Year V (AE Mons, fonds du tribunal correctionnel de Mons, registre de correspondances du directeur de jury de Mons n° 8, lettre n° A240).
 
45
The insurrectionary atmosphere caused by the law of 7 Vendémiaire Year IV is clearly described by public prosecutor Giraud to Merlin in his letter of 28 Prairial Year V (AN BB18 400/DD4218).
 
46
Letter written on 12 Fructidor Year V by the commissioner at the civil court of the department of Jemappes, Simon Nazaire Chenard, to Merlin (AN BB18 400/DD4218).
 
47
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 15 Prairial Year V (AN BB18 563/DD3929).
 
48
Letter to government commissioner Sayavedra attached to the Mechelen correctionnal court, 7 Messidor Year V (AN BB18 563/DD3929).
 
49
In Brussels, on hearing the judgment of the court of Dyle, Pierre-Joseph Vanderveken, from Louvain, was outraged (Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 14 Prairial Year V (AN BB18 284/DD 3877)). In Mechelen, the Brussels judge François Joseph Auguste Sayavedra addresses himself directly to the Directory (Letter to the Directory dated 15 Prairial Year V (AN BB18 563/DD 3929)).
 
50
Logie, Les magistrats des cours…, prosopographical index, pp. 119–120 and 369–370.
 
51
Ibid., p. 315.
 
52
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 14 Prairial Year V (AN BB18 284/DD 3877).
 
53
Letter to his friend at the Tournai correctional court, dated 14 Fructidor Year V (AE Mons, fonds du tribunal correctionnel de Mons, registre de correspondances du commissaire du gouvernement, lettre no. A263).
 
54
See footnote 42.
 
55
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 23 Thermidor Year V (AN BB18 400/DD 4375).
 
56
Logie, Les magistrats des cours…, prosopographical index, p. 254.
 
57
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 14 Thermidor Year V (AN BB18 400/DD 5190).
 
58
Lacoudraye’s correspondence testifies repeatedly to his concern to win over public opinion (Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 23 Thermidor year V).
 
59
Berger, La justice pénale…, p. 70.
 
60
On 7 Pluviôse Year VI, the criminal court of the department of Scheldt sentenced De Hase to three months imprisonment and a fine of 500 livres (State Archives at Beveren, Assize Court of West Flanders, register of judgments No. 14).
 
61
I.e., 42 cases out of 78.
 
62
I.e., 16 cases out of 78.
 
63
Letter to the commissioner of the criminal court of the department of the Scheldt, Lacoudraye dated 12 Frimaire Year VI (AN BB18 294/DD 2774).
 
64
Letter to the commissioner of the criminal court of the legal district of Aalst, Chompré, dated 12 Frimaire Year VI (AN BB18 294/DD 2774).
 
65
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 4 Thermidor Year V (AN BB18 294/DD 2774).
 
66
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 28 Prairial Year V (AN BB18 294/DD 2774).
 
67
Letter to the Minister of Justice dated 21 Frimaire Year VI (AN BB18 476/DD 7419).
 
68
Like Lemoine, Ippersiel and Perlau, Vandeputte’s career lasted well beyond the fall of the Directory. After becoming a judge at the court in Ghent in Year VIII, he remained in office after the purification of 1811 and under Willem I. Vandeputte died in office in 1825 (Logie, Les magistrats des cours… prosopographical index, p. 365).
 
Metadaten
Titel
Conflicts, Tensions and Solidarity Within the Judicial District: A Socio-Professional Study of the Judiciary of the “Belgian” Departments Under the French Directory (1795–1799)
verfasst von
Emmanuel Berger
Copyright-Jahr
2016
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-25802-7_14