The International Fundaments of the Creation of People’s Tribunals and Prosecution Services in Hungary and the Work of the People’s Tribunal in Pécs in 1945

Abstract

The functioning of people’s tribunals and people’s prosecution service were legally regulated by decrees, which required lay participation because of the political situation after World War II. Many of the general principles of law – for example nullum crimen sine lege – were put in the shades, they focused on the inevitable impeachment of war criminals. In order to implement the impeachment, they created several categories for the comitted crimes: war felony and misdemeanor, as well as felony and misdemeanor against the people. In addition to regulating the activities of peoples’s tribunals and prosecution services, the following study gives an insight into the 1945 practice of the People's Tribunal in Pécs. Only a few types of war crimes and crimes against the people appeared before this country court. Among the accused there were a large number of members of the German minority in Hungary, and according to the natural sense of justice – looking back from the 21st century – the punishment seems to be morally excessive in some cases.