Podsędek (; literally: sub-judge) was a judicial position in the
history of Poland
The history of Poland spans over a thousand years, from Lechites, medieval tribes, Christianization of Poland, Christianization and Kingdom of Poland, monarchy; through Polish Golden Age, Poland's Golden Age, Polonization, expansionism and be ...
and
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
. The role and importance of this official varied over time.
["Podsędek"]
''Encyklopedia PWN''
In early Poland, it was an official at the prince's house court (sąd dworski, ''in curiae'').
[
From the 14th century it was a deputy (but not a subordinate) of a ]land
Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of Earth not submerged by the ocean or another body of water. It makes up 29.2% of Earth's surface and includes all continents and islands. Earth's land sur ...
judge. [
In Napoleonic Poland (]Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw (; ; ), also known as the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and Napoleonic Poland, was a First French Empire, French client state established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars. It initially comprised the ethnical ...
) the position of ''podsędek'' was that of a court clerk and notary combined in (lower courts). His duties included handling the cases which amounted to the "acts of goodwill": sale/purchase contracts, inheritance, power of attorney
A power of attorney (POA) or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs (which may be financial or regarding health and welfare), business, or some other legal matter. The person auth ...
, marriage/divorce, etc."Organizacja sądownictwa w Księstwie Warszawskim"
/ref>
References
Polish titles
Legal history of Poland
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