Linnakohus

Linnakohus, meaning "city court" in Estonian, is a historical term for a local court that operated within a city to resolve disputes and enforce municipal regulations. The term combines linn (city) and kohus (court). In various periods and jurisdictions, linnakohus referred to urban courts that handled civil actions arising in towns, petty criminal offenses within city boundaries, trade regulations, guild disputes, market rules, and licensing matters, as well as appeals from decisions made by city authorities.

Typically, a linnakohus consisted of professional judges assisted by lay assessors or aldermen, and proceedings were conducted publicly. Cases were proven by witnesses and documentary evidence, with judgments rendered in writing and subject to written appeal to higher levels of the national judiciary.

In modern Estonia, the term linnakohus is not part of the current court structure. Contemporary urban matters fall under the general court system, including county courts (maakohus) and circuit courts (ringkonnakohus), and public-law disputes may be heard by administrative courts. The linnakohus remains a historical reference used in legal histories and in comparative descriptions of municipal justice in past centuries.

See also: court, municipal court, administrative court, county court, legal history.