The question of the effectiveness of penal provisions in preventing abuses related to the nomination of representatives between the two wars

Abstract

In our study we examine why the criminal law regulation did not work effectively in preventing abuses related to the nomination of representatives during the Horthy era. To do this we first present the relevant penal provisions of the 1925 Electoral Act (also taking into account the later regulation of 1938) and then we move on to the procedural issues related to their application. Finally, we also explain our view on what was the real Achilles’ heel of the problem we examined. In our writing we relied exclusively on contemporaneous sources: public and criminal law authors of the period and some works of judges, who had an excellent knowledge of practice of law, in addition to we worked on the basis of the former journal of the House of Representatives of the Parliament.