The Egyptian Judicial System: How Does it Compare to Our Modern System?

The ancient Egyptians had a complex system of law and order, which included many different departments, ministries, and officials. In a lot of ways it was not that much different than what we have today. But unlike our modern system, the ultimate decision always remained with the pharaoh himself and the punishment given could be both swift and harsh.

Crime prevention was overseen by a group of individuals not that different from our modern day police force. They patrolled their assigned areas and watched over sites where crimes were most likely to take place. They even used dogs, as well as trained monkeys, to help them in their work.

The police opened investigations whenever a crime was committed and followed up on complaints that were lodged against their citizenry. They gathered clues, checked records, and interviewed witnesses. They even had their own interrogation practices.

Unlike the tactics used today, however, Egyptian law allowed for torture in obtaining knowledge as well as for eliciting confessions. The most common form of torture was flogging, although it was not the only method employed.

Once a case was built, it was turned over to the court system which could either be local or district in nature, depending upon the offense. The courts were generally made up of citizens of note within the community and were overseen by a judge appointed by the pharaoh.

While courts were given jurisdiction over minor infractions, in many cases the more serious offenses were handled directly by the pharaoh. As the supposed living embodiment of the Egyptian god, Horus, he was the upholder of maat, the Egyptian concept of law and order.

In many cases, the pharaoh was the only one allowed to dispense justice. He had the right to preside over any criminal case at any time. The final decision on how a criminal was to be punished was ultimately his alone unless he imbued his representatives (judges) with those rights.