VALENCIA (SPAIN): Eight men in black robes, sitting in a circle on chairs in the street outside a cathedral look on, stony-faced, as a bailiff calls the accused. They form the Water Court of Valencia, a millennial institution in Spain. In just a few minutes and without any paperwork, this tribunal settles irrigation conflicts that erupt in the fertile plain that surrounds Valencia, Spain's third largest city, a Mediterranean region of orchards. UN cultural body UNESCO has included the court — which bills itself as "the oldest institution of justice in existence in Europe" — on its list celebrating the world's "intangible cultural heritage" which deserves protection. The tribunal's existence dates back at least to the 10th century when this region was ruled by Muslims and the Gothic cathedral where the tribunal meets today was a mosque. It deals with cases of stolen water, a precious resource in drought-prone Spain, or disagreements over the interpre...
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