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Kritarchy, also called kritocracy, was the system of rule by Biblical judges (שופטים, shoftim) in ancient Israel, started by Moses according to the Book of Exodus,[1] before the establishment of a united monarchy under Saul.[2][3]
Because the name is a compound of the Greek words κριτής, krites ("judge") and ἄρχω, árkhō ("to rule"),[4] its colloquial use has expanded to cover rule by judges in the modern sense as well. To contrast such a rule by (modern) judges with the actual form of the 1996 Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, judge Albie Sachs coined the term dikastocracy for it, from δικαστής ("judge"), rejecting the coinage juristocracy[5] for being an admixture of Latin and Greek.[6] The word jurocracy has also been used by others.[7]
- ^ Exodus 18:13–26
- ^ Zettler 1978, p. 84.
- ^ Hellweg 1993, p. 71.
- ^ Ayittey 2006, pp. 305.
- ^ Hirschl 2007.
- ^ Cornell & van Marle 2014, p. 90.
- ^ Martin 2005, p. xviii.