The present article focuses on the authority of starostas and city officials based on the judicial system in the Volhynian Voivodeship from the 1560s, when castle courts were established, up until the end of the 16th century. I analysed the factors that affirmed the domination of starostas and defined the formal extent of their powers, as well as those that helped to maintain a certain degree of autonomy between a starosta and city officials, and facilitated the emancipation of the latter. The officials’ oath, its perception in the gentry community and the judicial cases which concerned such issues were the focus of particular attention.
