A Hajdú-Bihar Megyei Levéltár évkönyve 23. 1996 (Debrecen, 1996)
Tanulmányok - Nagy Sándor: A hajdúkerületi büntető törvényszék, mint másodfokú bíróság 1861-1871
142 Nagy Sándor: A hajdúkerületi büntető törvényszék... vádlott bűnösségének vagy a büntetés mértékének megállapítása kérdésében. Ilyenkor a szavazatok többségét elnyert álláspont szerinti döntést hirdették ki. A törvényszék tagjai ezekben a „kisebb súlyú” ügyekben is olyan körültekintéssel jártak el, mint amikor a törvényszék elsőfokú hatáskörébe tartozó főbenjáró ügyekben ítélkeztek. The Hajdú District Central Criminal Court as Court of Appeal 1861-1871 Sándor Nagy After the failure of the 1848/49 war of freedom, the autocracy, during reorganisation of public administration and administration of justice, abolished the Hungarian courts and established a body foreign to the national conception. Only as a result of the defeat of the Austrian empire at Solferino in 1859, and the strengthening of the Hungarian independence movement, did Ferenc Józsefi, on 2nd October 1860 order that a proposal for the organisation of Hungarian administration of justice, should be prepared at the council to be called under the chairmanship of the Lord Chief Justice. The Temporary Judicial Regulations compiled by the beginning of March 1861, took a stand for re-instating of the courts which existed until 1848. In accordance with this, in the Hajdú district, the regionally competent town councils continued to proceed in criminal and civil law suit cases of smaller importance, in the first instance, while the Hajdú district Central Criminal and Civil Court was invariably provided with first and second instance competency: bringing judgements as court of first instance in matters of greater importance and judged appeals entered against judgements of the town councils, as court of second instance. The Temporary Judicial Regulations reinstated the old Hungarian criminal laws and legal practises formulated with modifications to suit the changed conditions, while the lawsuit rights, up to then only due to the gentry, were also given to commoners. The district Central Criminal Court - after an intermission of eleven years - commenced operation on the 6th June 1861. From this date - up to the termination of its existence - 31st December, it gave judgements against and in favour of 184 defendants, as court of second instance in cases of appeals made against judgements of the six hajdú town councils as courts of first instance. The judgements were made in closed session on the basis of unanimous or majority vote of the court members. During the given period, the judgements of the town councils against the defendants were affirmed in 46.7% of the cases. In so far as the judgement imposed in the first instance was found to be too lenient or too severe, then the measure of these was reduced or increased - with indication of the reasons. In the same way reasons were given for judgements of acquittal, just as for decisions on setting aside of judgements brought in the first instance without sufficient disclosure of facts, and ordering new proceedings. The appeals made by persons excluded by law or unjustified, were however refuted.
