Russia (Estland Governorate) Brass Cast Official Badge 1889 (1890s) - Volost Judge (rural district judge)
66.14g. 51x43x5mm.
Melnik, Mozheiko 3001.
The Volost Judge in the Governorate of Estonia was a local self-government official responsible for hearing and resolving disputes within the peasant community in the period following the abolition of serfdom in the mid-19th century. This position was part of the new peasant institutions established to administer the affairs of free rural inhabitants. The volost judge was elected by the volost assembly from among local peasants and was subordinate to the volost administration and the mirovoy posrednik (justice of the peace). He dealt with minor civil and criminal cases, family and property disputes, and violations of local regulations, as well as ensured the enforcement of administrative decisions. By handling everyday conflicts and maintaining rural order, the volost judge played an important role in the lowest tier of the peasant self-government system of the Estland Governorate.
