Description

In ancient Egypt the underpinning concept in law in theory was that rich and poor citizens should be treated equally but this was an aspiration that was rarely fulfilled in practice At the same time the types of treatment delivered to those deemed guilty could also be harsh common punishments included confiscation of property slavery beatings and mutilation During both the Old Kingdom c 2700 BCE 2200 BCE and Middle Kingdom c 2030 BCE 1650 BCE crime was dealt with by local officials using their own private police forces However during the New Kingdom c 1539 BCE 1075 BCE a centralized police force emerged consisting of Nubian tribesmen under an Egyptian supervisor who were armed with staffs and used specially trained dogs