Právněhistorické studie / Legal History Studies (Charles University journal; below referred to as PHS or Journal) is a scientific journal listed in the international prestigious database SCOPUS. The journal is published by Charles University in Prague under the guarantee of the Department of Legal History of the Faculty of Law of Charles University. It is published by the Karolinum Press. The journal focuses on the field of legal history and related topics.
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PRÁVNĚHISTORICKÉ STUDIE, Vol 56 No 1 (2026), 21–26
ArticleSymboly moci v rímskom a kánonickom práve
[Symbols of Power in Roman and Canon Law]
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14712/2464689X.2026.186
published online: 22. 04. 2026
abstract
Authority in law is manifested not only through norms and sanctions, but also through symbols that express authority, power, and position within a hierarchical structure. This paper focuses on the analysis of symbols of power in Roman law, examining their legal, social, and ideological significance, and particularly their reception into current canon law. Roman law, as the foundation of European legal culture, provides a rich set of legal symbols that have also influenced the development of canon law. Canon law adopted and adapted many of these symbols, while at the same time giving them a new – sacred – meaning. The article offers a comparative view of these two legal traditions and points to the continuity and discontinuity in the perception of legal power and its representation.
keywords: authority; symbol; jurisdiction; Roman law; canon law
references (18)
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Symboly moci v rímskom a kánonickom práve is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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