Magomed Dandamayev

In later Babylonia slaves were not only active in the economic sphere, they could also have their own seals, witness business contracts concluded by free persons and slaves,  and take oaths. In the legal spliere they had full riglits to engage in litigation with each other or with free persons (but evidently not with their own masters). There seems to have been no distinction in tiie attitude towards the defense of a slave’s interests as opposedto the defense of a free person’s interests.

Moreover slaves, like free persons, gave witness testimony about crimes committed by other slaves or by free persons, including tlicir own masters. The concept of slaves as merely objects of the law, excluded from tlio society of those with access to it , was alien to the New Babylonian legal system.