Nihil novi nisi commune consensu ("Nothing new without thecommon consent") is the originalLatin title of a1505act orconstitution adopted by thePolishSejm (parliament), meeting in theroyal castle atRadom.
TheLatin expression, "nihil novi" ("nothing new"), had previously appeared in theVulgate Bible phrase, "nihil novi sub sole" ("there is nothing new under the sun"), inEcclesiastes 1:9.[1]
"Nihil novi" in thispolitical sense, is interpreted in thevernacular as "Nothing about us without us" (inPolish, "Nic o nas bez nas").
Nihil novi effectively established "nobles' democracy" in what came to be known as the Polish "Commonwealth [orRepublic] of the Nobility". It was a major component of the evolution and eventual dominant position of the Polish parliament (Sejm).[2][3]
The act ofNihil novi was passed in 1505 during aSejm session in Radom (sejm of Radom (1505) [pl]) that lasted from 30 March to 31 May and was held at theroyal castle in Radom [pl].[4] It was signed by KingAlexander Jagiellon on 31 March[5] and adopted by the Sejm on 30 May.[3][6][7]
The Sejm's 1505 Act ofNihil novi nisi commune consensu marked an important victory for Poland'snobility over herkings. It forbade the king to issue laws without the consent of the nobility, represented by theSenat and Chamber of Deputies, except for laws governingroyal cities,crown lands (królewszczyzny),mines,fiefdoms, royalpeasants, andJews.[citation needed]
Nihil novi invalidated thePrivilege of Mielnik, which had strengthened only themagnates, and it thus tipped the balance of power in favor of the Chamber of Deputies (the formally lower chamber of theParliament), where the ordinarynobility held sway. This initiated the period in Polish history known as the "Nobles' Democracy," a limited democracy giving suffrage to male nobility (szlachta), who at the time made up more than 10 percent of the Republic's population.[3][8]
Whereas generallaws and publicacts pertain not to an individual but to the nation at large, wherefore at thisGeneral Sejm held atRadom we have, together with all our kingdom'sprelates, councils and land deputies, determined it to be fitting and just, and have so resolved, that henceforth for all time to comenothing new shall be resolved by us or our successors,without the common consent of thesenators and the land deputies, that shall be prejudicial or onerous to the Commonwealth [or "Republic"] or harmful and injurious to anyone, or that would tend to alter the general law and public liberty.[9]
Na mocy aktu uchwalonego 30 maja, w którym zapewniano, że „nihil...
na następnym też sejmie, który obradował w Radomiu od 30 marca do 31 maja 1505
granted on 31 March 1505 by King Aleksander
konstytucję wydano z datą 30 maja
Uchwalona na sejmie walnym w Radomiu w dniu 30 maja 1505 r. konstytucja Nihil novi stanowiła
