Статуты Великого Княжества Литовского в исторической и правовой традиции Беларуси

• Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės Statutai ir istorinės ir teisinės Baltarusijos tradicijos
• Statutes of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the context of Belarusian historical and legal tradition

LTXX a. pradžioje Baltarusijos publicistikoje LDK laikotarpiui buvo skiriama daug dėmesio – autorių nuomone, būtent tuomet Baltarusijos kultūra buvo aukščiausio lygio, o kaip jos pavyzdys buvo nurodomi Lietuvos Statutai. XX a. antrojoje pusėje Minske buvo išleistas visų trijų redakcijų Statutas. Leidimų dinamika rodo, kad Lietuvos Statutų tiriamųjų darbų ir publikacijų apie juos padaugėjo XX a. devintojo dešimtmečio antrojoje pusėje, kai visoje buvusioje SSRS atgimė visuomenės gyvenimas ir imta domėtis savo valstybių istorija. Ši veikla buvo toliau vykdoma ir Baltarusijos Respublikoje. Daug ginčų buvo kilę dėl Statutų vietos teisės aktų klasifikacijoje. Apibendrinant juos pažymėtina, kad Lietuvos Statutų vieta ypatinga: savo turiniu jie aiškiai pranoksta kodekso sampratą tačiau negali būti vadinami ir įstatymų sąvadu, nes juos rengiant kiekviena dalis buvo redaguojama ir kodifikuojama. Šiandien Baltarusijoje Lietuvos Statutai ir specialistų, ir visuomenės yra laikomi nacionalinės teisinės tradicijos šaltiniu. Tą akivaizdžiai patvirtina lėšų rinkimas 2012 m., kad Mogiliovo istorijos muziejui iš Rusijos galėtų būti nupirktas 1588 m. Statuto egzempliorius. Už visuomenės pinigus nupirktas Statutas tapo pirmuoju originaliu Baltarusijoje turimu 1588 m. Statuto egzemplioriumi senąja baltarusių kalba (kirilica).

ENThe Lithuanian Statutes were drafted in the times when the state's central power declared its loyalty to old traditions, and that used to be conveyed through the stereotyped formula "do not destroy the old ways, do not introduce anything new" of the Chanceiy of the Grand Duchy. In the eyes of all the estates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (hereinafter also referred to as the GDL) "the old ways" were synonymous with fair order, or even an ideal, a departure from which was deemed to be an impermissible "grievance" and "innovation". The system of rules of conduct, which had been established in the course of a certain period of time and acquired a legal meaning and which had been sanctioned by the state power, constituted customary law. Meanwhile, the epoch of the Statutes – the XVIth century – was characterised by great innovations throughout all areas of the states life. In fact, administrative, territorial, judicial, economic, military and other substantial reforms were implemented. The said whole process of transformation was crowned by the adoption of the Statutes. It turned out that the public declarations of loyalty to traditions appeared to be the slogans of modernisation. The process of the complicated interaction between "the old ways" and "the new" was illustrated by the process of cultural renewal and cultural evolution. The cult of "the old ways" could not halt the evolution of society. The Lithuanian Statutes had to embody in themselves the aforesaid controversial and at the same time unstable social and legal situation. The political unity reached within the conglomerate of Lithuanian and Belarusian, and until 1569 – also Ukrainian, lands required a unified legal system. The Statute of 1529 was enacted namely as a response to the multinationalism and multiconfessionalism of the GDL.When analysing the conditions of the emergence of the Lithuanian Statutes, one needs to take into account the general social and cultural context of the preparation of these fascinating legal monuments – the fact that in the first half of the XVIth century the GDL experienced a rise. It is possible to maintain that in the course of implementing the successful (in a certain sense) state projects of the unions between the GDL and the Kingdom of Poland, the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy in the Commonwealth was secured due to the existence of an independent legal tradition, the foundations for which were formed by the Lithuanian Statutes. The systematisation of law, on the ground of which the Statute of 1588 was prepared, was based on new principles characteristic of the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era: the establishment of the principle of separation of powers and the emergence of the idea of reinforcement of law and order.During the period of over three first decades of the XlXth century, already after the partitions of the Commonwealth and the forced incorporation of Lithuania and Belarusinto the Russian Empire at the end of the XVIIIth century, the 1588 Statute retained its legal topicality and remained to be the principal source of law on the Belarusian territory. The validity of the 1588 Statute was statutorily abolished after the failed uprising of1830-1831: in Vitebsk and Mogilev guberniyas – in 1831, while in Minsk, Grodno and Vilno guberniyas – in 1840. [...].