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Nihil novi nisi commune consensu |
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Nihil novi is used to name one
of the first Polish 'liberty' act (called
sometimes a constitution of
1505 year), namely, Nihil novi nisi commune
consensu ( i.e., "Nothing new without the consensus of all",
in short form: "nothing about us without us"). It was an important victory for Polish noblemen (in
Polish szlachta)
over the
kings. This act forbade the king to pass new
laws without the agreement of szlachta representatives (Polish parliament,
Sejm
and Senat),
with the exception of laws regarding
royal cities, crown
lands ('królewszczyzny'), mines, fiefdoms, peasants,
and Jews. Quotation
of the Nihil novi ... constitution: Polish: Ponieważ prawa ogólne i ustawy publiczne dotyczą nie pojedynczego człowieka, ale ogółu narodu, przeto na tym walnym sejmie radomskim wraz ze wszystkimi królestwa naszego prałatami, radami i posłami ziemskimi za słuszne i sprawiedliwe uznaliśmy, jakoż postanowiliśmy, iż odtąd na potomne czasy nic nowego stanowionym być nie ma przez nas i naszych następców, bez wspólnego zezwolenia senatorów i posłów ziemskich, co by było ujmą i ku uciążeniu Rzeczypospolitej oraz ze szkodą i krzywdą czyjąśkolwiek, tudzież zmierzało ku zmianie prawa ogólnego i wolności publicznej. (Translation after Wikipedia) In some sense the meaning of this act resembles the well know in
Anglo-Saxon world slogan "No taxation without representation"
which summarized a primary grievance of the American colonists in
the 18th century. Americans complained that taxes were imposed by British
Parliament without their consent, which in their opinion violated the
traditional Rights of Englishmen rooted the Magna Carta Libertatum
("Great Charter of Freedoms") issued in 1215.
The continuation of the
NIhil novi ... constitution were The Henrycian Articles (Polish:
Artykuły henrykowskie) which stated the fundamental principles of
governance and
constitutional law in the
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the form of 21 Articles written
and adopted by the
szlachta in
1573 at the town of Kamien,
near Warsaw.
The document took its name from that of
Henryk Walezy the first elected Polish king,
who was obliged to sign the Articles before being allowed to mount the
throne. Subsequently every king-elect was required to swear fidelity to
them. |
![]() The first page of 'The Constitution' 1505
Plague of the 500th anniversary of the Nihil novi ... constitution
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