Traditional Law in Soviet Times

Author(s): Lavrenti Janiashvili
Editor(s): Stéphane Voell
Series: Caucasus Analytical Digest (CAD)
Issue: 42
Pages: 5-7
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2012

In order to fully grasp the contemporary practice of traditional law, it is necessary to discuss its practice in Soviet times and earlier. Georgian scholars of history of law consider traditional law an important part of Georgian legal history that outlived all periods of foreign domination. During Soviet times, traditional law continued to be practiced in Svaneti, because so called private crimes were not brought to court by the involved parties. Additionally, traditional law had many intersections with the code of thieves in law and other informal traditional practices.

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