The decree ‘On revolutionary tribunals’ adopted

On November 22 (December 5), 1917 under the decree ‘On court’ N 1 were established the Worker’s and Peasant’s revolutionary tribunals meant to struggle with counterrevolution, sabotage and other dangerous crimes.

In the period of 1917-1918 the borders between two types of courts – People’s Court and tribunals meant to struggle with counterrevolution – almost disappeared.

In this context on May 4, 1918 the Soviet of the People’s Commissars of RSFSR adopted the decree ‘On revolutionary tribunals’. Under the decree all common crimes were no more under the authority of revolutionary tribunals. Henceforth the local courts were in charge of this kind of crimes. As to the tribunals, they were charged with struggling against pogroms, bribery, forgery, illegal use of the Soviet documents, hooliganism and espionage.

Under the decree the revolutionary tribunals remained only in large centers (capitals, provincial cities, large railway junctions and industrial settlements). All the rest of local and army revolutionary tribunals were abolished.

Under each revolutionary tribunal was established a panel of prosecutors of minimum three persons elected by local Soviets of Worker’s deputes directly or upon representation from revolutionary tribunal or People’s Commissariat of justice.

Prosecutors’ panel decided on jurisdiction of cases and completeness of the investigation. It suggested to the investigation commission to institute proceedings against an individual or a group of individuals; formulated accusatory thesis on each case and made public accusations on all the cases during the revolutionary tribunals’ sessions.

The completed investigation process on each case was presented to an accused or to his advocate who were allowed to make comments regarding the investigation. The investigation committee under the revolutionary tribunal decided where to direct the case after.

On October 31, 1922 the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted the ‘Regulations on judicial system in RSFSR’ which took effect in the entire territory of RSFSR from January 1, 1923. Under this document the revolutionary tribunals were abolished.

Lit.: Декрет о революционных трибуналах. 4 мая 1918 г. // Декреты Советской власти. Т. 2. М., 1959; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/DEKRET/18-05-04-2.htm; Декрет о суде. 22 ноября (5 декабря) 1917 г. // Декреты Советской власти. Т. 1. М., 1957; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/DEKRET/o_sude1.htm; Герцензон А. А., Грингауз Ш. С., Дурманов Н. Д. История советского уголовного права. М., 1947. Гл. 5. Меры наказания в уголовном законодательстве и в судебной практике в 1917-1918 гг. С. 114-147; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.allpravo.ru/library/doc101p/instrum107/item491.html; Меры наказания в уголовном законодательстве и в судебной практике в 1917-1918 гг. // Герцензон А. А., Грингауз Ш. С., др. История советского уголовного права. М., 1947. Гл. 5. С. 114-147; То же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://www.allpravo.ru/library/doc101p/instrum107/item491.html; Павлов Д. Б. Трибунальный этап советской судебной системы. 1917-1922 гг. // «Вопросы истории». 2007. № 6.