Abstract
The death penalty was a regular punishment in the 1950s, and it was used for a whole range of ordinary crimes over the decade. However, its extensive use took place after 1956, when it became a political tool for retaliation against those involved in the revolution.
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Notes
- 1.
Preamble Part II/Detailed Preamble/“Regarding Article 31”.
- 2.
“The penalty was applied to protect the working people, to discipline and educate the offender and generally to keep the members of the society from crime.” (Article 50 para. [1])
- 3.
Article 51 paras. (1) and (2) (a).
- 4.
The complete title of the Law-Decree: Law-Decree no. 34 of 1951 on regulations of criminal law and criminal procedure applicable to juveniles.
- 5.
“Within the application of criminal law, a juvenile is the person who, at the time of the crime, has reached the age of twelve, but has not yet reached the age of eighteen.” (Article 1)
- 6.
For the course of the revolution (and, within it, partly for the retribution on revolutioners after crushing it), see: János M. Rainer M: Az 1956-os magyar forradalom (The Hungarian Revolution of 1956). Osiris, Budapest, 2016.
- 7.
For the practical aspects of retaliaton against revolutioners of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, see in detail, e.g.: Tibor Zinner: A kádári megtorlás rendszere (System of the retaliation during Kádár}. Hamvas Intézet, Budapest, 2001; Gábor Jobbágyi: Az 1956 utáni megtorlási eljárások (Retaliatory procedures after 1956). Jogtudományi Közlöny, 1998/12., pp. 472–480.
- 8.
Murder, intentional killing, arson, robbery, looting (burglary), any crime committed with the use of illegal firearms, as well as all the attempts to commit such crimes.
- 9.
Furthermore: “… the court does assign a day for the hearing of the case and does not issue subpoenas. The prosecution presents the accusation at the hearing. The prosecutor selects witnesses and experts and presents other evidences to the court.” [Article 1 para. (2)]
- 10.
Published and entered into force on January 15, 1957.
- 11.
An exception to this was the previously mentioned case when the panel proceeded in the cases of the offences committed before the entry in force of the Law-Decree (January 15, 1957).
- 12.
Two days later (on December 13), Law-Decree no. 32 of 1956 supplemented the discussed legislation by the fact that “if the summary court found the defendant guilty in one of the crimes under summary procedure, the court will impose death penalty” (Law-Decree no. 32 of 1956 Article 1 and Law-Decree no. 28 of 1956 Article 3 para. [3]).
- 13.
For the organizational aspects of the criminal adjudication against revolutioners, see: Zsuzsanna Mikó: A forradalom utáni megtorlás bírósági és ügyészségi szervezete. 1956–1961 (The organization of the judiciary and the public prosecution during the retaliation after the revolution. 1956–1961). Történelmi Szemle 2006/1–2., pp. 121–169; Zsuzsanna Mikó: A Legfőbb Ügyészség az 1956. évi forradalomban (The Prosecutor General’s Office in the Revolution of 1956). Levéltári Közlemények, 2006/2., pp. 189–222.
- 14.
For data about the operation of military courts, see: György Markó: A katonai bíróságok statáriális ítéletei 1956. December 1957. október között (Martial law decisions of military courts between December 1956 and October 1957). Restauráció, 1999, pp. 319–326.
- 15.
In fact, the Law-Decree on the councils of the people’s tribunals can be considered the “successor,” substitute, and replacement of the Law-Decree on the regulation of accelerated criminal procedure (this can be seen from the fact that the latter one was overruled by Law-Decree no. 34 of 1957). Although Law-Decree no. 34 of 1957 entered into force on June 15, 1957, Chap. 1 (Articles 1–26) on the councils of the people’s tribunal was only entered into force on July 3, 1957 by Government Decree no. 41 of 1957 (June 29) Article 1.
- 16.
Cf., e.g.: Csaba Kósa: Thirteen minutes: Tizenhárom perc. Mansfeld Péter élete és mártíromsága (The life and martyrdom of Peter Mansfeld). Jel, Budapest, 2008; Gábor Jobbágyi: (A “pesti srácok” pere. Mansfeld Péter és társai elítéltetése (Criminal procedure of the “Pest guys”: The condemnation of Peter Mansfeld and his associates). Valóság, 1996/10., pp. 35–55.] The statement that “the age of retaliation mainly ended in the fall of 1958” merely means that the age of plentiful death sentences and executions was mainly over for this period and not that it never happened again.
- 17.
For the post-revolutiary criminal adjudication, see e.g.: Frigyes Kahler,: A megtorlás történetéhez—a büntetőjog általános részének alkalmazása 1956 után. I. rész (For the history of retaliation: Application of the General Part of Penal Code after 1956. Part I.). Magyar Jog, 1991/10., pp. 581–587; Frigyes Kahler,: A megtorlás történetéhez—a büntetőjog különös részének alkalmazása 1956 után. II–III. rész (For the history of retaliation: Application of the Special Part of Penal Code after 1956. Part II and III.). Magyar Jog, 1992/1., pp. 1–5. and 1992/2, pp. 76–79; Frigyes Kahler: Megtorlás a forradalom részvevői ellen—a jogtörténet tükrében (Retaliation against participants of the revolution—in the light of history of law). Valóság 1994/10., pp. 80–89.
- 18.
For the criminal procedure against Imre Nagy and others, see e.g.: Sándor Kopácsi: Az 1956-os forradalom és a Nagy Imre per (The revolution of 1956 and the procedure against Imre Nagy). Magyar Öregdiák Szövetség Bessenyei György Kör, New Brunswick, I. H. Printing Company, 1980.
- 19.
Source of data: Ibolya Horváth, et al. (ed.): Iratok az igazságszolgáltatás történetéhez (Files for the history of jurisdiction). First volume. Közgazdasági és Jogi Könyvkiadó, Budapest, 1992, p. 654.
- 20.
The majority of them, 117 persons were sentenced to death for acts related to participating in armed struggle.
- 21.
Source of data: Tibor Zinner: A kádári megtorlás rendszere (The system of retaliation in the Kádár-era). Hamvas Intézet, Budapest, 2001, pp. 421–423 and 436.
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Toth, Z.J. (2020). Capital Punishment in the First Decade of State Socialism. In: Changing Attitudes Towards the Death Penalty. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-47557-4_11
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