People's Commissariat of Justice

People's Commissariat of Justice
Name	People's Commissariat of Justice
Native name	Народный комиссариат юстиции
Formed	1917
Preceding1	Ministry of Justice (Russian Empire)
Dissolved	1946
Superseding	Ministry of Justice (Soviet Union)
Jurisdiction	Soviet Government
Headquarters	Moscow, RSFSR
Chief1 name	Georgy Oppokov
Chief2 name	Pyotr Stuchka
Chief3 name	Nikolai Krylenko
Chief4 name	Nikolai Ryshkov
Chief5 name	Ivan Golyakov

People's Commissariat of Justice. The People's Commissariat of Justice, known as Narkomyust, was the central Soviet government body responsible for administering the legal system and overseeing courts following the October Revolution. Established by the Council of People's Commissars in late 1917, it played a pivotal role in dismantling the judicial institutions of the Russian Empire and constructing a new, ideologically driven proletarian legal order. Its functions encompassed court supervision, legal education, prosecutorial duties, and the management of the notary system, operating first within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and later for the entire Soviet Union.

History and establishment

The commissariat was created by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars on November 8, 1917, immediately after the Bolsheviks seized power during the October Revolution. Its formation was a direct component of the Bolshevik program to smash the existing state apparatus, as outlined by Vladimir Lenin in works like The State and Revolution. The first People's Commissar, Georgy Oppokov, was tasked with abolishing the entire judicial system of the Russian Empire, including the Governing Senate and the institutions of the Ministry of Justice (Russian Empire). This period of radical legal transformation, often called "socialist legality," was characterized by the establishment of revolutionary tribunals and people's courts during the ensuing Russian Civil War.

Structure and organization

The internal structure of Narkomyust evolved but consistently included departments for judicial administration, legislative proposals, and legal education. It maintained direct supervisory control over the network of people's courts and revolutionary tribunals across the republics. A critical component was the Procuracy, which was initially embedded within the commissariat before becoming a separate body. The commissariat also managed the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union in an administrative capacity and oversaw a system of notary offices. Its central apparatus in Moscow coordinated with subordinate commissariats in other union republics, such as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Key functions and responsibilities

Primary functions included the general supervision of all courts, the interpretation of laws, and the preparation of drafts for new legislation and codes, such as the RSFSR Penal Code of 1926. It organized and controlled the work of the judiciary, managed the appointment and dismissal of judges, and was responsible for the systematic publication of laws and decrees. For a significant period, it also directed the state prosecutorial functions, overseeing investigations and indictments in political cases. Furthermore, Narkomyust was charged with the ideological training of legal cadres through institutions like the Communist Academy and the Institute of Soviet Law.

Leadership and notable commissars

The leadership of the commissariat included several prominent Bolshevik jurists and figures. The first commissar, Georgy Oppokov, served only briefly before being succeeded by Pyotr Stuchka, a key theorist of Soviet law. Nikolai Krylenko served the longest tenure, from 1931 to 1938, energetically promoting the legal theories that supported the Great Purge before himself becoming a victim of it. His successor, Nikolai Ryshkov, also fell during the purges. Later commissars included Ivan Golyakov, who led the body during World War II. These individuals were instrumental in implementing the shifting legal policies dictated by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Role in the Soviet legal system

Narkomyust was the primary instrument for implementing the Communist Party's legal policy, ensuring the courts served as tools of state policy rather than independent arbiters. It played a central role in the legal campaigns of the 1920s and 1930s, including the persecution of NEPmen and the dekulakization drive. During the Great Purge, its apparatus, particularly under Nikolai Krylenko, worked in tandem with the NKVD to provide a veneer of legality to the proceedings of the Moscow Trials. The commissariat helped develop the concept of "socialist legality," which emphasized the class character of law and its subordination to the goals of building socialism and defending the Soviet state.

Dissolution and legacy

In 1946, as part of a broader reorganization of the Soviet government, the People's Commissariat of Justice was transformed into the Ministry of Justice (Soviet Union) by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. This change was largely cosmetic, aligning state bodies with more traditional ministerial titles in the postwar period. The legacy of Narkomyust is deeply intertwined with the creation of a punitive and ideological legal system in the Soviet Union, where law was subordinate to the Party and the state. Its history exemplifies the use of legal institutions as instruments of political repression, social transformation, and consolidation of Stalinism.

Category:Government ministries of the Soviet Union Category:Soviet law Category:1917 establishments in Russia Category:1946 disestablishments in the Soviet Union