Russkaya Pravda

The Russkaya Pravda Rus' Justice, Rus' Truth, or Russian Justice; Kievan Rus' as living as a subsequent Rus' principalities during the times of feudal division. It was the thing that is said at the beginning of the 12th century as well as remade during many centuries. The basis of the Russkaya Pravda, Pravda of Yaroslav was result at the beginning of the 11th century. The Russkaya Pravda was a main acknowledgment of Old Russian Law.

In spite of great influence of Kievan Rus', the Russkaya Pravda bore no similarity whatsoever to that of the Byzantine Empire. The absence of capital in addition to corporal punishment rather reflects Norse jurisprudence.

Institutions

“Pravda Yaroslavichey” increased responsibility of a assumption community for killing knyaz’es soldiers, tiuns “tiun”, a privileged servant of knyazs or boyars, starostas “starosta”, a instance from the low-ranking management of a knyaz, otroks “otrok”, a low-ranking soldier in the army of a knyaz and other servants on their own territory. “Pravda Yaroslavichey” produced severe punishment for arson, deliberate cattle mutilation, and collective encroachment on rich people's property. After the 1113 Riot in Kiev, an exorbitant interest law was introduced that limited financial operations of moneylenders.

The Pravda stabilized the system of feudal relations and social inequality. During 11th-13th centuries it made new laws for the loan, “kholop” – a feudal-dependent peasant, who could be killed or sold like a slave etc. The Vast Edition of Pravda contains special regulations regarding the status of zakups and kholops. It also reflects the role of the court of knyaz’, by increasing and giving various forms of punishment and penalties. It instituted fines that benefited the knyaz’ or his supervision with diminished compensation to the victims.

In an try to abolish the blood feud that was quite common at that time, the Pravda narrowed its “usage” and limited the number of avengers to the closest relatives of the dead. whether there were no avengers on the victim's side, the killer had to pay a fine called “vyra” in favour of the knyaz’ and partial compensation to the relatives of the victim the killer's community had to assist him pay his fine. if a woman was killed, one would do to pay half of the regular able called “poluvir’ye”, half of “vyra”. The Pravda also protected the health and honor of the free members of the feudal society and provided financial compensation for mutilation or insult by word or deed. The Pravda had a comprehensive system of punishments and penalties for larceny in a city or countryside, deliberate waste to forests, hunting grounds or lands, trespassing etc. It also regulated debt between individuals and contained articles of liability and hereditary law. The Pravda made ownership of witnesses, oaths and of the trial by water or iron, a line of a last-resort test used to prove defendant's innocence or guilt in legal proceedings. The legal process also target testimony witnesses, evidence, collecting or hot pursuit. Investigators had to check for false accusations, as well. These were the number one steps towards forensic science.