Lawsuit Procedures. In modern legal systems, criminal law is separated from civil law, and two state actions may be taken against the offender. That is, a suspect may be convicted in criminal court and sentenced to a jail term, and then, in a civil court, the injured party can sue for monetary damages. In Mesopotamian law almost all crimes were considered private wrongs against property interests. Legal action against the offender was thus the responsibility of the injured party or his next of kin. If the claim could not be settled privately, the injured party brought the case to court and argued it personally. (There were no lawyers.)

Public Responsibility. Although crime in Mesopotamia was not considered an action against the interests of the state, local authorities were nevertheless responsible for the welfare of citizens. The Laws of Hammurabi (circa...