Jerolim Mičelović-Michieli, a penologist from the XVII century and his Pratica criminale

Abstract

The author reports on the insufficiently known handbook Pratica criminale pei cancelieri, which was written in the mid XVII century in Venice by Croatian lawyer and scholar Jerolim Mičelović - Michieli. There are indications that the work influenced criminal legal practice to a certain extent, and that it contributed to alleviate the severity of the inquisitorial procedure and criminal system, at least in some parts of the Venetian Dominium. Pratica criminale pei cancelieri is the subject of a research project being implemented at the Faculty of Law in Split, with the task to explore in more details that estimation. Pratica criminale pei cancelieri is basically a theoretical text, but it is written in a dialogue form, and it probably had influenced future officials in some parts of the Venetian Dominium. The author launches some hypothesis considering that texts and its impact in legal practice, with the goal to provoke further discussion.