The title of the canon suggests that it concerns the bishops who accept money for delivering a judgment in favour of one party. The text of the canon itself mentions however also other clerics (quis sacerdotum vel clericorum). It may still speak about their authority as judges, because of the comparison with the secular judges. But it also explicitly mentions the action of defending (patrocinium). It seems most probable that the canon is directed against the judges who are accepting bribes for a favourable verdict. See also Canon 4 of the Council of Tarragona [142] that mentions that bishops and presbyters have the right to judge civil cases and to settle quarrels (cf. Orlandis, Ramos-Lissón 1986: 105-106).