Tribunaes de Arbitros-Avindores

In the wake of the great industrial boom, a new kind of courtroom emerged to settle disputes that traditional courts could not handle. These “tribunais de árbitros‑avindores” acted as mediators between factory owners, managers and their workers, seeking to keep the wheels of production turning smoothly. The opening pages lay out how their conciliatory mission mirrored earlier civil institutions while serving the specific needs of rapidly expanding factories.

The author then traces the roots of these tribunals back to medieval judges, French expert councils, and the 1806 law that first formalised them in Lyon. By following their spread across industrial towns in Portugal and beyond, the work shows how a seemingly technical legal reform helped shape modern labor relations. Listeners will discover a fascinating blend of legal history, social change and the everyday struggles that prompted a new era of industrial justice.