One of the legal institutions provided by the Holy See for the defense of the rights of institutions, and sometimes individuals, was the office of conservators (iudices conservatores), a special type of papal delegate judge. They were appointed to defend the rights and welfare of a given institution threatened by other entities, both ecclesiastical and secular. This institution, independent of customary jurisdiction, presents an interesting example of the judicial power of the Holy See. The paper aims to discuss the state of research on the office of conservators both in Poland and Europe, as well as to present potential research perspectives for the future.