Portal:Holy Roman Empire/Article of the month/February

Aulic Council

The Aulic Council (Reichshofrat) was one of the two high courts in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, the other being the Imperial Chamber Court (Reichskammergericht). The Aulic Council, however, was solely responsible for matters relating to imperial fiefs and privileges and hunting reserve rights.

Both courts derived their authority from the German king or emperor, who was the supreme judge in the Empire. The higher nobility and the imperial cities could only be arraigned before the two high courts. Citizens, peasants and lesser nobles, on the other hand, had first to be brought before the courts of those princes and cities whose subjects or citizens they were. They could only take their case to the high courts, if they considered that the lower courts responsible for them had made a wrong decision. They were then allowed to seek to have the ruling of the lower court overturned by appeal or nullification. They had to follow the normal channels in doing so. If these prerequisites were met, the high court judges reviewed the decisions of the lower courts.

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