Law in Ancient Egypt

Based on its legal system, Ancient Egypt was a very well organized society with coherent infrastructure for social justice and regulation of punishment and crime. Justice was performed under the rule of the monarch and therefore the legal system started from the Pharaoh. All the judges, courts and magistrates passed judgment and made decisions by the power awarded to them by the Pharaoh. The judgments ruled by the courts were very stiff giving an indication of how strict the law was. For instance, the sentence for perjury was death. This was because the perjurer would have committed two of the most serious sins i.e. breaking the pledge with most significance to man and sin towards the gods.

Moreover, it was also an offense to see a person being attacked and not coming to his/her rescue (Tyldesley). The legal system therefore ensured that everyone was his/her brother's keeper. Similarly in the Harem conspiracy, the principle conspirators were punished according to the magnitude of the crime they committed. All the great criminals, Pabekkamen, Mesedsure, and Pedaua and the great enemies like Patjauemdiamun, Karpus among others were punished accordingly. However some great enemies deiced to take their own lives (Vernus).

Ancient Egypt was very organized because there was a legal procedure for doing almost everything. Legal documents controlled most of the social actions or decisions especially in the ancient Kahun. For instance in case of a dispute over inheritance, the son was supposed to present a legal statement of claim to give evidence of the portion his father had promised him (Pakinson). A claim statement therefore supports the word of the mouth by official documentation. Ancient Egypt was therefore fair to each member of the society by giving them what was due to then.

Tomb robbing was considered the worst crime of all because the priests were required to burry all their belongings in the tombs. Any robber found in the religious or aristocratic tombs would be executed in a very painful manner.  One workman by the name Weser-khepesh explained that after the members of the royal family, are buried, they are protected and guarded and examined forever (McDowell). The legal system therefore also ensured that the Royal family is well respected and taken care of even in their demise. This is a very good sign of appreciation to the leaders of the society.