Jolanta Komornicka Defends Dissertation
On November 30th, Jolanta Komornicka successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “The Parlement Of Paris And Crimes Of Lese Majesty In France, 1328–1350.” Examining the use of lese majesty by the Parlement of Paris during the reign of Philip VI Valois (r. 1328-1350), the dissertation explores the relationships between the high judicial court, the king, other jurisdictions, and disputants; as well as the relationships between theories of crime, law, and sovereignty. Prosecuting lese majesty was an expression of a judicial culture that prized the ideals of justice and due process. Concentrating on those cases of lese majesty tried before Parlement, using the criminal and civil registers of Parlement housed in the Archives Nationales in Paris, the research engages with lese majesty as a category of crime utilized in the daily practice of trials and judgments. Through better understanding lese majesty, Komornicka offers a clearer picture of how sovereignty was conceptualized, articulated, and enacted at a transitional moment in French history.
Professor Deanna Klepper supervised the dissertation. Other members of the defense committee included Phil Haberkern, Daniel Smail (Harvard), Clifford Backman, and Barbara Diefendorf.