▁Const antine ▁I ▁in ▁ 3 1 8 ▁gave ▁lit ig ants ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁have ▁court ▁cases ▁transferred ▁from ▁the ▁civil ▁courts ▁to ▁the ▁b ish ops . ▁This ▁situation ▁must ▁have ▁hardly ▁surv ived ▁Julian , ▁ 3 6 1 – 3 6 3 . ▁Epis cop al ▁courts ▁are ▁not ▁heard ▁of ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁until ▁ 3 9 8 ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁in ▁ 4 0 8 . ▁The ▁quality ▁of ▁these ▁courts ▁were ▁low , ▁and ▁not ▁above ▁susp icion ▁as ▁the ▁bishop ▁of ▁Alexand ria ▁Tro as ▁found ▁that ▁cler gy ▁were ▁making ▁a ▁cor rupt ▁profit . ▁Non eth eless , ▁these ▁courts ▁were ▁popular ▁as ▁people ▁could ▁get ▁quick ▁justice ▁without ▁being ▁charged ▁fe es . ▁B ish ops ▁had ▁no ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁civil ▁administration ▁until ▁the ▁town ▁coun c ils , ▁in ▁decl ine , ▁lost ▁much ▁authority ▁to ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁' not ables ' ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁the ▁rich est ▁council ors , ▁powerful ▁and ▁rich ▁persons ▁leg ally ▁ex empt ed ▁from ▁serving ▁on ▁the ▁coun c ils , ▁retired ▁military , ▁and ▁b ish ops ▁post - 4 5 0 ▁AD . ▁As ▁the ▁Western ▁Empire ▁col lapsed ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 th ▁century , ▁b ish ops ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe ▁assumed ▁a ▁larger ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Roman ▁govern ors . ▁A ▁similar , ▁though ▁less ▁pron ounced , ▁development ▁occurred ▁in ▁the ▁East , ▁where ▁the ▁Roman ▁administrative ▁appar atus ▁was ▁largely