ack of documentation makes it difficult to study in depth this important aspect of the town. We only know for sure that the lord of the manor exercised his territorial rights to the full, and that the population was ruled by the royal laws of Castile.

Niebla's jail itself was in the alcázar. Acccording to Cristóbal Jurado, "Don Enrique, the fourth Earl of Niebla, restored the Alcázar, made the tower popularly known as de la Reina, endowing it with a store of grain in cellars and aljibes (tanks), and dungeons of Roman style with three storeys according to the crimes of culprits; these dungeons were also used to lodge the mesnadas, specially during the night to prevent revolts"..

The local by-laws of other towns of the County bring forward several data about the judicial organization, for those of Niebla do not remain. The head of the justice system was the chief magistrate, the main mayor, who was also called justicia. As a judge, he was the political and judicial chief of the town council. The ordinary mayors were in charge of carrying out the sentences given by justice. Besides, they called the interested parties to court, they arrested criminals and fulfilled all the orders given by municipal magistrates, who acted on behalf of the duke.

In the case of sentences issued in the town whose amount was less than 6,000 maravedíes, (old Spanish coin) an appeal to the town council court could be done. Judges and ordinary mayors were not allowed to charge adviser's fee in lawsuits, except in the final or interlocutory sentence. The penalties given by judges were charged by the touwn council.

Apart from the aforementionesd judicial posts, the town's sesmeros were recognized as judges in litigations about boundaries and ways, although there was always the possibility of appealing to the town council. Bailiffs could also provide for penalties to be imposed on thoses who disturbed public order by fighting with or without arms.