The five paths to a judge: an interpretation of Cóic Conara Fugill (Five Paths to Judgement)

Abstract

This interpretation offers an analysis based on the Small Primer (Uraicecht Becc), a text which may come from the same school as Cóic Conara Fugill. A passage from that tract about social ranks notably presents a hierarchy of three judges, who seem to correspond to the first three procedures of the Five Paths of Judgement. The choice of the right procedure would then actually be the choice of the right judge. A first block of three paths would then be distinguished, to which a second block of two paths would then be added.

Keywords

• early Irish Law
• procedure
• trial
• classification
• Irish king as judge
• judges