ABOUT THE SENJ STATUTE FROM 1757

Abstract

Senjski statut iz 1388. bio je predmetom detaljnih istraživanja hrvatskih pravnika i povjesničara. No, u pravnoj tradiciji Senja postoji još jedno važno pravno vrelo koje se nije dovoljno koristilo u istraživanju povijesti Senja, njegova ustroja i razvoja pravnih instituta na hrvatskim pravnim prostorima u XVIII. st. Riječ je o Senjskom statutu iz 1757. koji je donijela vladarica Marija Terezija. Statut je pisan na talijanskom i njemačkom jeziku. Senj je u to doba bio izuzet ispod uprave bana i Sabora te je u sastavu Vojne krajine i njezinih organa vlasti. No, Senj ima status slobodnog kraljevskog grada i nakon pritužbi Hrvatskog sabora o kršenju prava grada njegov položaj, organizacija i privilegije utvrđeni su Statutom. Senj i dalje nije pod ingerencijom bana i Sabora, ali se nalazi u sastavu Trgovačke intendance (tzv. Austrijskog primorja od Trsta do Karlobaga). Statut sadrži brojne propise o ustroju organa vlasti u gradu (Malo vijeće, kancelar), načinu njihova izbora, poglavarstvu, sudu (gradski i plemićki sudac), liječniku, kirurgu i ljekarniku, uredu za čistoću, trgovačkim povlasticama grada, sudskom postupku, odvjetnicima, obiteljskom i nasljednom pravu, pomorskom pravu, zaštiti šuma itd.The Senj Statute from 1388 has been the subject of detailed research by Croatian lawyers and historians. However, in the legal tradition of Senj there still exists one more important legal source which has not been used enough in the research of the history of Senj, its structure and development of legal institutes in Croatian legal areas in the 18th ckentury. It is the Senj Statute from 1757 which was introduced by the ruler Maria Theresa. The statute is written in Italian and German languages. At that time Senj was exempt from the administration of the ban and parliament and was in the system of the Military Border and its authorities. However, Senj had the status of a free royal city and after complaints of the Croatian parliament about the violation of rights of the city its status, organisation and privileges were set with the Statute. Senj was still not under the authority of the ban and parliament, but it found itself in the system of the Commercial Intendancy (the socalled Austrian Littoral from Trieste to Karlobag). The statute contains a number of regulations about the structure of the governing organs in the city (Minor Council, Chancellor), election methods, government, court (city and noble judge), physician, surgeon and chemist, office of cleanliness, trading privileges of the city, court procedure, lawyers, family and inheritance rights, maritime law, forest protection etc