Parliament of Brittany


The Parliament of Brittany was one of the parlements, a court of justice under the French Ancien Régime, with its seat at Rennes. The last building to house the Parliament still stands and now houses the Rennes Court of Appeal, the natural successor of the Parliament.

''Parlements'' under the Ancien Régime

As with all the parlements before they were abolished in 1789, that of Brittany was a sovereign court of justice, principally listening to appeals of sentences issued by lower jurisdictions. The Parliaments also possessed limited legislative powers and asserted some autonomy with respect to the royal prerogative.
The nobles of Brittany were keen to defend the rights of the province, known as the "Breton liberties", maintained under the treaty of union with France. They were determined to exercise these powers, and to play a big part in the life of the Parliament and consequently in the life of the whole province. This resistance to royal powers, involving the defending of its institutions and the privileges of the nobility, was widespread. Composed of similar members with many interests in common, the Estates of Brittany were invariably united with the Parliament of Brittany in defence of their rights.

History

The foremost responsibilities of the Parliament of Brittany were the processing of appeals against judgements in civil matters rather than criminal matters. It had to instruct and to judge across wide-ranging areas of litigation, and question all that which may have escaped the attention, for various reasons, of the lower provincial jurisdictions.

Main responsibilities

According to a sample of the Parliament's judgments compiled by Séverine Debordes-Lissillour, its judgments. More than half of the procedures concerned questions of succession, of property and of obligations.

Administrative Competence

The Parliament of Brittany possessed many administrative prerogatives, such as guardianship of parishes and control of policing. The contentions and complaints that it processed allowed it to be fairly well informed about general difficulties justifying the sentences passed or overriding the strict judicial framework. All the same, royal orders and edicts could require implementation more or less immediately.
Parishes had to ask for the Parliament's agreement when they wanted to raise money for their own needs. Forty parishes asked for such decisions during a single term in the year 1693. The parish rector had to publicise any judgments.
One of the innovations of the laws of August 16 and August 24, 1790, following the abolition of the Parliaments, was the separation of the judicial and the administrative courts.

The Parliament Building

Plans were drawn by the city architect of Rennes, German Gaultier and reviewed by Salomon de Brosse. The Parliament of Brittany decided to site the palace in the heart of the city, where it had sat ever since 1655.
The building was restored following severe fire damage on February 5, 1994, an event linked to violent demonstrations by local fishermen. The building was adapted to the requirements of the 21st century, and the Court of Appeal of Rennes was able to resume its activities there within five years.

In French