''Neminem captivabimus'' is a legal term in Lithuanian and Polish historical law that was short for ' (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

, "We shall not arrest anyone without a court verdict"). In the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland and the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

, it was one of the

szlachta's privileges The privileges of the ''szlachta'' (Poland's nobility) formed a cornerstone of "Golden Liberty" in the Kingdom of Poland (before 1569) and, later, in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795). Most ''szlachta'' privileges were obtained bet ...

, stating that the king could neither punish nor imprison any member of the '' szlachta'' without a viable court verdict. Its purpose was to release someone who had been arrested unlawfully. ''Neminem captivabimus'' had nothing to do with whether the prisoner is guilty but only with whether due process had been observed. It was introduced by King

Władysław Jagiełło Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: Famous people Mononym * ...

in the Acts of Jedlnia (1430) and

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

(1433) and remained in use until the Partitions of Poland (1772–1795). The same acts guaranteed that he would not confiscate any ''szlachta'' property without a court verdict. The

Four-Year Sejm The Great Sejm, also known as the Four-Year Sejm (Polish: ''Sejm Wielki'' or ''Sejm Czteroletni''; Lithuanian: ''Didysis seimas'' or ''Ketverių metų seimas'') was a Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that was held in Wars ...

(1791) decided that the privilege be granted to inhabitants of

royal cities The term royal city denotes a privilege that some cities in Bohemia and Moravia enjoyed during the Middle Ages. It meant the city was an inalienable part of the royal estate; the king could not sell or pledge the city. At the beginning of the 16t ...

who owned real property there and to the

Polish Jews The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the l ...

References

15th-century establishments in Poland Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Legal history of Lithuania Legal history of Poland 1430 establishments in Europe {{Latin-legal-phrase-stub

See also

References