Editing Irish Republic (section)

===Judiciary and police===
The judicial arm of the Irish Republic consisted of a network of [[Dáil Courts]] administered by IRA officers, which at first operated in parallel with the British judicial system, and gradually came to supersede it as public opinion swung against the British in some parts of the island. British law allowed for the [[arbitration]] of disputes, provided the parties agreed to it, and as the Dáil Courts were initially described as arbitration panels it was impossible to outlaw them. In other cases the Dáil Courts proved more popular because of the speed and efficiency of their functioning, compared to the local [[Assize]] courts. They proved unable to deal with violent crimes but acquired a good reputation with farmers, particularly in dealing harshly with cases of [[Cattle raiding|cattle rustling]].

The enforcement of law and the decrees of the Dáil Courts was vested in the [[Irish Republican Police]].