Lit de justice

Lit de justice ( bed of Justice) is an expression of royal justice of the medieval rule ( Ancien Régime ) in France and means a special meeting of the Parliaments' in the presence of the French king. Derived the expression of the canopy - covered throne in the corner of the assembly hall, reminiscent of a four-poster bed. Five pillows made ​​the bed, on one of them sat the king, two supported the arms, the back one and the fifth feet. For private conversations of the square in front of the throne was empty.

This custom goes back far before the time of the Parliaments', as the Merovingian or Frankish king held his court session in the open air, where he was protected by the canopy. At the meeting, which is normally in the " Grand Chamber " (in French la Grande Chambre, Grand ' Chambre, Grand Chambre ) of the Paris Parlements in the royal palace, now the Palace of Justice, was held the great men of the kingdom were present: Prince of blood, dukes and peers, Cardinals and marshals, the Dauphin. The king used to open these meetings on a fixed ritual and gave the word to the formulation: " My Chancellor will present the rest " ( ". Dira le reste Mon chancelier ") to the Registrar as a spokesperson, who then read to the royal declaration - government declaration, edict, declaration of war, peace declaration. Even crimes such as treason nobles were discussed especially in the 14th century in this meeting. The presence of the ruler transferred the jurisdiction of the Parliaments', which then acted as adviser to the king - according to " adveniente principe, cessat magistratus " - Latin. for " Upon publication of the ruler is silent, the magistrate ( a judge ) ." However, not all was the presence of the king in Parlement also simultaneously a " bed of justice". Especially Philip IV and his three sons, Louis X, Philip V and Charles IV often attended the Parlement session that could take place before any of the 12 Parliaments'. Since Louis XIII. remained the Lit de justice to the Paris Parlement limited, under Louis XIV, it was hardly convened because he Parlement almost completely disempowered, under Louis XV. revived again, the last one was under Louis XVI. held in Versailles.