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What reforms did Louis IX introduce through the ordinance of 1254?
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Louis IX
Louis IX, carrying the hand of justice.
The ordinance of 1254, issued by Louis IX, was a significant legislative act focused on administrative reform. It was developed as a direct response to remedial inquiries and investigations into the conduct of royal officials, specifically bailiffs and seneschals.
These local administrators and their subordinates had frequently faced complaints regarding the abuse of their powers for personal gain or the king's benefit. The 1254 ordinance sought to address these grievances and improve the integrity of local governance, building upon the work of investigative commissions that had been established in 1247 to provide means for public redress.1