ABSTRACT
The study discusses the town statutes and protocol book of the only royal town of the Transylvanian Szeklers, Târgu Mureş, which acquired the status of a free royal town in 1616. The governance structure consisted of elected officials, including a judge and a council. The town’s statutes, first written down in 1604, aimed to regulate urban life, enforce legal norms, and ensure equality in taxation and duties among residents. Key figures like Tamás Borsos shaped its progress, securing privileges and promoting codified urban laws. However, governance challenges persisted, particularly in integrating the suburbs beyond the fortified walls, which retained noble privileges. The final section presents several case studies where the normative texts are confronted with the practice of the judiciary, aiming to assess the jurisdiction of the written town statutes.
