Parliamentary device in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Sejm session at the Royal Castle, Warsaw, 1622
The liberum veto (Latin for "free veto"[a]) was a parliamentary device in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was a form of unanimity voting rule that allowed any member of the Sejm (legislature) to force an immediate end to the current session and to nullify any legislation that had already been passed at the session by shouting either Sisto activitatem! (Latin: "I stop the activity!") or Nie pozwalam! (Polish: "I do not allow!"). The rule was in place from the mid-17th century to the late 18th century in the Sejm's parliamentary deliberations. It was based on the premise that since all of the Polish–Lithuanian noblemen were equal, every measure that came before the Sejm had to be passed unanimously. The liberum veto was a key part of the political system of the Commonwealth, strengthening democratic elements and checking royal power and went against the European-wide trend of having a strong executive (absolute monarchy).
Many historians hold that the liberum veto was a major cause of the deterioration of the Commonwealth political system, particularly in the 18th century, when foreign powers bribed Sejm members to paralyze its proceedings, causing foreign occupation, dominance and manipulation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and its eventual destruction in the partitions. Piotr Stefan Wandycz wrote that the "liberum veto had become the sinister symbol of old Polish anarchy". In the period of 1573–1763, about 150 sejms were held, about a third failing to pass any legislation, mostly because of the liberum veto. The expression Polish parliament in many European languages originated from the apparent paralysis.
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The liberumveto (Latin for "free veto") was a parliamentary device in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It was a form of unanimity voting rule that...
(parliament) by unanimous consent, and if any legislator invoked the liberumveto, this not only vetoed that bill but also all previous legislation passed during...
century, the liberumveto was used to virtually paralyze the Sejm, and brought the Commonwealth to the brink of collapse. The liberumveto was abolished...
parliamentary institutions such as the liberumveto, which had put the Sejm at the mercy of any single deputy, who could veto and thus undo all the legislation...
state after 1918. During the reign of Władysław IV (1632–1648), the liberumveto was developed, a policy of parliamentary procedure based on the assumption...
the privilege of liberumveto did not apply. Examples of confederated Sejms: Repnin Sejm, Great Sejm. Confederation Sejmik Liberumveto Constitution of...
liberumveto (Latin), the right of an individual land envoy to oppose a decision by the majority in a Sejm session; the voicing of such a "free veto"...
granted ever-increasing Golden Liberties. These liberties, especially the liberumveto, led to anarchy and eventual dissolution of the state. The Commonwealth...
Constitution abolished pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberumveto, which at one time had placed a sejm at the mercy of any deputy who might...
extensive legal rights and privileges. One of the system's features was the liberumveto, used for the first time in 1669. The nobility, comprising szlachta and...
attempted to reform the country, but it was marred by the frequent use of liberumveto inside the Sejm, which severely weakened by the interference of Russia...
and the Sejm was continuously dissolved because of the abuse of the liberumveto law. Charles X Gustav of Sweden triumphantly marched through the country...
Chamberlain of Przemyśl, and in July, were broken up by the deputies with a "Liberumveto". In addition, no effective methods were devised to defend the Polish-Lithuanian...
January to 11 March 1652 in Warsaw. At that sejm Władysław Siciński used liberumveto for the first time.[dubious – discuss][clarification needed] Fredro fortified...
proceedings of a given sejm or sejmik by exercising his individual right of liberumveto – Latin for "I do not allow" – except in the case of a confederated sejm...
Commonwealth utilized the liberumveto, a form of unanimity voting rule, in its parliamentary deliberations. The "principle of liberumveto played an important...
confederated sejm (with decisions decided by the majority) to prevent liberumveto (the right of any deputy to force an immediate end to the current session...
and sometimes even semi-independent from the state), who opposed (see: liberumveto) losing their workers, legal revendication actions of King and Execution...
a Sejm session was called for 1 February 1717. To prevent the use of liberumveto from disrupting Sejm proceedings, the session was turned into a confederated...
returned where not more than 2 jurors dissent. Consensus decision-making Liberumveto Unanimous consent Unanimous fairness "Frequently Asked Questions about...
known as the Partition Sejm. To prevent the disruption of the Sejm via liberumveto and the defeat of the purpose of the invaders, Poniński undertook to...
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