The law also made a more concerted attempt to protect the slave against mistreatment by his master.

A certain type of state lawyer was an official protector of the slaves; he received regular reports on slave conditions from priests as well as from special investigative officials who had been appointed by the state for this purpose.

Mistreatment could lead both to the freedom of the slave and to the imprisoning of the master.

The law had devised an ingenious system whereby the fine was divided equally between the judge, the informer, and the state treasury.
Finally, the slave in North America could not own property and had absolutely no civil rights.

The law clearly stated that he could neither own, inherit, or will property nor engage in buying and selling except at the pleasure of his master.