Sources of legal regulation of trade cooperation and conflict resolution in Medieval England

Abstract

The article examines the legal support for the activities of foreign merchants on the territory of Medieval England, as well as the legal environment in which trade disputes are resolved, the course and nature of the process in fair and slipway courts. The author tried to give a brief description of the main sources of trade cooperation regulation in Medieval England, as well as to clarify their relationship in resolving trade conflicts. Crown played a huge role in resolving conflicts between English and foreign merchants. It is the kings who regulate the amount of trade duties, and also confirm the privileges of certain groups of foreign merchants with Charters. Both political and economic aspects must be taken into account when we consider the role of kings in settling trade disputes. On one hand, issues related to limiting the privileges of foreign merchants in England were often raised in the English Parliament. The king was forced to listen to the opinion of the House of Commons, since it had a number of powers in the financial field, namely, it played a major role in voting taxes and fees. On the other hand, kings often borrowed significant amounts of money from foreign merchants. The political aspect was also important in resolving the largest conflicts, which often led to the outbreak of privateering wars. It should be noted that the merchant law often include the norms of maritime law, and even criminal law. But the author did not intrude into these areas, since they deserve separate research.