Water court draws crowd for outpouring of justice
Institution included on UNESCO cultural heritage list
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 known for its orchards.
UNESCO, the cultural body of the United Nations, 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. It deals with cases of stolen water, a precious resource in drought-prone Spain, or disagreements over the interpretation of rules managing the irrigation system.
Disputes can happen at any time of the year but they are
Vicent Marti, a farmer who brought a case in the water court
more frequent during droughts when special rules governing irrigation are imposed and “supervision is enforced to control the availability of water,” said historian Daniel Sala, an expert on the Water Court.
One recent case was brought by Vicent Marti, who has operated an ecological farm for over 30 years.
He turned to the tribunal after noticing that the water arriving at his farm was polluted with traces of cement and paint thrown into the irrigation system by workers renovating a neighbor’s house.
After hearing both sides, and a brief debate among the tribunal members, the president of the court announced that Marti’s neighbor was at fault.
Following tradition, he indicated his acceptance of the ruling by saying “correct” and was later fined 2,000 euros ($2,285).
“I felt bad reporting it because we are neighbours, but I did not have much choice,” Marti said.
The court in its current form is made up of eight members, all of them men, who are elected by the roughly 10,000 farmers who use the irrigation system set up in the plains around Valencia.
The court meets every Thursday at noon outside the Door of the Apostles of Valencia’ s cathedral, which houses a gold chalice said to be the one used by Jesus at the Last Supper.
The proceedings, which are watched by a crowd of locals and tourists, are carried out in Valencian, the local language.
All decisions are final and cannot be appealed. The tribunal’s rulings “have been respected by dictators, presidents, kings, everybody,” said Sala.
Enrique Aguilar, the vice president of the tribunal, said that 90 percent of all disputes are solved through mediation, sometimes just a few minutes before the tribunal’s weekly session.
“We try to make it so nobody makes it here,” he said, in front of the cathedral door where the tribunal meets.
And sometimes just the prospect of being brought before the tribunal can be enough to settle a dispute.
“Out in the fields, the accused is proud, claims he is not at fault. But when he presents himself here, he asks for mediation,” added Manuel Ruiz, the president of the tribunal.
I felt bad reporting it because we are neighbors, but I did not have much choice.”