The development of bill of exchange law in the Russian empire in XVIII century (by materials of magistrates’office work of the Kursk region)

Author(s):  I.S. Efremova, Belgorod National Research University, Belgorod, Russia, efremova.i.s2012@gmail.com

A.N. Moshkin, Dr., Prof., Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russia, moshkin@bsu.edu.ru

Issue:  Volume 46, № 2

Rubric:  Topical issues of russian history

Annotation:  The article is devoted to key aspects of the development of the bill of exchange law in the Russian Empire in the eighteenth century. The purpose of the study is to show the evolution of the law enforcement practice of the magistrates due to the increase of the economic potential of the urban environment. The expansion of trade contacts and the improvement of the quality of education have changed the consciousness of the Russian merchant class. As the main source of protection of the interests businessmen became law instead of custom. Writing transactions began to be perceived as a guarantee of material stability, which contributed to the codification of disparate legislation on promissory notes. The main method of this research is the analysis of judicial practice of city magistrates of Kursk vicegerency. The study of the documents focused on their external and substantive aspects. Comparison of general imperial norms of law and the nature of law enforcement leads to the conclusion that the decisions of the imperial courts are of a case-law. City magistrates played the role of a key mechanism for testing the bill of exchange.

Keywords:  bill of exchange, acceptor, guarantor, maker, magistrate, town governor, loan letter, debtor.

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