The professionalization of the Early Modern judge : from a literary genre towards a deontology for judges?

This doctoral research project aims to study the vast body of scholarly writings on the figure of the judge that emerged in the 17th century Spanish Netherlands and Spain. It will focus specifically on the notions contributing to the professional ethics or deontology that were understood to be part of the office of the judge at the time. Proposed research questions will be: what conclusions can be drawn about the scale of this body of writings on the office of the judge? Could a diversity of topics concerning the figure of the judge in these treatises be distinguished? What made a good judge, according to the standards and requirements derived from the learned writings studied here? How did these writings contribute to the development of a deontology of the judge, and how were they meant to contribute to the professionalization of the judge in the context of modern state formation? The aims of this project are twofold: the first goal is to map the field of treatises on the judge published in 17th century Spanish Netherlands and Spain, the second is to apply a close reading of the aspects of the judge’s deontology and professionalization as elaborated on in these treatises. Since writings on judges emerged in such large numbers during this period, three categories within this genre have been identified to allow for a systematic treatment. These categories are each represented by an eminent scholar serving as an example of this type of writing. Other important writings on the judge, especially those on his deontology, will be treated within this framework.