...I was speaking abstractly re: "a judge." Narragansett is one of my favorite characters though he has a fairly minor role. I realized after reading my post that it looks like I haven't read the book as many times as I have.

Jennifer

-- Food Philosophy. Sensuality. Sass.

Or Big J as I call him. He's one of the best minor characters in AS.

He found in favor of Midas Mulligan when Midas had to defend himself against a looter, but after a reversal of the decision the Judge retired with Midas to the Gulch. He also married Ragnar and Kay Ludlow (hubba-hubba). And, at the end of AS, Big J is seen rewriting the US Constitution: "Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of production and trade ..."

Re justice in the Gulch and in a rational world, this may help.

There was A judge in Galt's gulch who was to be called on to settle any disagreement, but since it was a small group of friends who shared the same standards he "never needed to be called on."

She did make a point that for contracts to be legally binding people would have to submit their contracts to the authority of a judge who would be called in for any dispute and to pay for this a "contract fee" would be required to be paid to the judge for his services (if needed). It would act in the same way as an insurance policy ensuring the protection of the contract. Contracts could still be entered into without a fee but they wouldn't be enforcable in cases of dispute.

---Landon

Inking is sexy.

http://www.angelfire.com/comics/wickedlakes

If I recall correctly, there was a judge to handle disputes, but as of yet his services were not needed, given the premise of "no conflicts of interest among rational men."

Jennifer

-- Food Philosophy. Sensuality. Sass.

Without referring back to the book, I can remember where Rand wrote that judges would be necessary to handle disputes, although she did not go into detail about judicial matters.