Judges of Empire

In 1862, Tsar Alexander II promulgated his arguably most radical reform: the Judicial Reform. Based on Western models, it heralded the advent of public trials, lawyers, and the independence of judges—in short, the rule of law. Yet in the Baltic provinces, arguably the most European part of the Russian Empire, the Baltic German nobility and guild elites held privileges over a relatively advanced legal system, ruling over the primarily Estonian and Latvian peasant population. How would imperial officials apply reform to this kaleidoscope of legal and linguistic diversity? Could an empire striving towards the rule of law successfully incorporate distinctive forms of local law and legal traditions? Like the winding stairs on the cover of this book, “Judges of Empire” explores the tortuous paths to reform and the ideas and political struggles behind them. It analyzes the alternative pluralistic arrangements that officials considered, which both combined and transcended conservative, progressive, and nationalistic ideals. The book follows the attempts of Russian-speaking judges to interpret Baltic law, from cases of shifting islands to latrines abutting churches. It documents the challenges and blunders that translators experienced dealing with multiple sophisticated and developing languages. Finally, “Judges of Empire” examines how the local population responded to reform and eventually, in the crucible of war and revolution, established national republics. Both building on and enriching histories of law and empire, the book charts shifts in the region’s legal cultures, plurality, and the nature of states.