Work Practices of Local Criminal Courts in the Territory of Chernihiv and Sumy Regions During the German Occupation (1941–1944)

Abstract

The German administration widely used extrajudicial, repressive and punitive measures to influence the behavior of the local population, trying to force them to work to ensure the goals and objectives of the occupation policy. Despite certain historiographical assets in the field of researching the history of the Second World War, the work of researchers in this direction continues, and provides deeper and more thorough materials on this issue. In the context of their own research, Yu. Levchenko, V. Shaikan, O. Honcharenko, and M. Kunytsky considered the activity of judicial institutions, and the judicial system in general. V. Shaykan describes the activities of judicial institutions in general terms. This state of affairs is partly caused by the discovery of new, previously unexplored sources that complement or fundamentally change the understanding of the subject under study. Therefore, this research is relevant and necessary in today's realities. A study of the practice of local criminal courts in the occupied territory of Ukraine shows that they were overloaded with cases related to misdemeanors and minor crimes committed by representatives of the local population. Exceptions were cases of similar acts committed by Jews by nationality. The most common categories were crimes against human life and health, defamation and insult to the honor and dignity of a person, as well as theft of property and hooliganism. the study of the practice of criminal justice in the territories of the modern Chernihiv and Sumy regions shows that judicial bodies considered cases of misdemeanors and minor crimes committed by representatives of the local population. Court proceedings were also opened against employees of local government bodies and the police. However, bringing these persons to criminal liability in accordance with the verdicts of local courts required the authorization of German authorities. The functions of the cassation institutions also belonged to the competence of the civil and military occupation authorities.