Religious and Minority Courts

Separate Tribunals for Different Faiths

Under the new administrative system in Bulgaria after 1878, different religious communities were allowed to have their own tribunals. This included the Orthodox Christians, Mahommedans (Muslims), and Jews. Each of these groups could settle certain civil matters according to their own traditions.

The idea was to respect the diverse customs and traditions of the population while introducing a modern system of justice. However, plans to create commercial courts in major trade centers were never fully implemented.

Military Courts

The military courts continued to function as they had since the proclamation of July 1, 1877. Their jurisdiction and procedures were maintained, ensuring that military matters were handled separately from civil cases Istanbul Tour Guide.

Tolerance Towards the Mahommedans

The new government showed great tolerance toward the Mahommedans, who had recently been the ruling class under Ottoman rule. Several measures made this tolerance clear:

The official language of the courts was Bulgarian or Russian, which the Turkish population often could not understand.

The courts were instructed to respect local and national customs until new laws could be prepared.

These policies were designed to show that the new regime was different from the previous Ottoman system, which had been strict and intolerant toward the Christian population.

Special Turkish Civil Courts

To implement these principles, the Provisional Rules allowed the creation of special Turkish civil courts. These courts were distinct from the traditional religious courts that the Mahommedans had under Ottoman rule.

The Mahommedan courts had the same jurisdiction as the ordinary courts when both parties in a case were Muslims.

If the parties were of different nationalities, the case was heard jointly by the Mahommedan court and the ordinary court. The oldest member of the courts would act as the presiding judge.

This system ensured that justice respected both national and religious diversity, while gradually introducing the population to the new civil procedures of the Principality.

The creation of religious and minority courts was a key feature of early post-liberation Bulgaria. It allowed communities to maintain their traditions while ensuring fairness in civil matters. By combining Councils of Elders, ordinary courts, and special Mahommedan tribunals, the Provisional Rules created a flexible and inclusive system of justice that recognized the diverse population of the Principality.