3.2 Procedure
3.2.1 In private law, it was probably the responsibility of the injured
party to bring the issue to court.^198 There may have been a first
attempt at arbitration before an actual court process.^199 Many details
of court administration are unknown.^200 Seidl claims that the court
case begins with a written complaint, as in the Old and Middle
Kingdoms. In the Court-case of Mes, there is a written complaint
and rebuttal.^201 Court procedures could be conducted orally, with
the plaintiffand defendant giving their own free-form^202 statements
of the case (e.g., O. Cairo 25556).^203 The Mesuia case seems to be
a procès-verbalin a civil lawsuit, the subdivisions being as follows:- introduction (date etc.)
- speech of the plaintiffMesuia
- speech of the defendant (Ó 3 .t), comprising a deposition and an oath
- verdict in favour of Mesuia
- a list of the judges, persons present, and the name of the scribe.”^204
The depositions are verbal.^205
(^198) But compare Allam, “Recht,” col. 184. See further Allam, “Legal Aspects.. .,”
141; Théodoridès, “Dénonciation.. .,” 15; Eyre, “Crime.. .,” 93. McDowell, Juris-
diction.. ., 248–49, proposes that these might have been resolved by self-help. In
O. DeM 592, a man proposes to take the matter of an unpaid debt to a com-
missioner of the pharaoh and the court; see Allam, Hieratische Ostraka.. ., 141, and
Verfahrensrecht.. ., 23. In P. Turin 1880, a scribe threatens to take the work crew
to court. This is, however, not a private, but a state matter; see Allam, Hieratische
Ostraka.. ., 310, and Verfahrensrecht.. ., 23.
(^199) In O. Staring, Brussels, a man apparently attempts to resolve a conflict with
his brother before it reaches the stage of a court case; see Allam, Hieratische Ostraka...,
247, Verfahrensrecht.. ., 22, and “Legal Aspects.. .,” 141. So too in O. Berlin 12630,
a man seeks to recover a debt without yet going to court; see Allam, Hieratische
Ostraka.. ., 35, and Verfahrensrecht.. ., 22. On qenbetprocedure, see McDowell,
Jurisdiction.. ., 165–70.
(^200) Cf. Allam, Hieratische Ostraka.. ., 58, 63, and Verfahrensrecht.. ., 55, 58. See
also Vittmann, Elephantine.. ., 49. See also Théodoridès, “Dénonciation.. .,” 59, on
P. Salt 124.
(^201) Seidl, Einführung.. ., 35.
(^202) Allam, Verfahrensrecht.. ., 58.
(^203) Allam, Hieratische Ostraka.. ., 62.
(^204) So Gardiner (with a few omissions), “Four Papyri.. .,” 41.
(^205) McDowell, Jurisdiction.. ., 18–21, discusses the expressions of saying, speaking
employed (e.g., ≈d, r, mdw).
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