YES

# parallel critical pair closing system (Shintani and Hirokawa 2022, Section 8 in LMCS 2023)

Consider the left-linear TRS R:

  h(f(f(f(h(c(),h(b(),c()))))),h(f(f(b())),b())) -> f(h(b(),f(a())))
  f(c()) -> b()

Let C be the following subset of R:

  f(c()) -> b()

The TRS R is left-linear and all parallel critical pairs are joinable by C.
Therefore, the confluence of R is equivalent to that of C.

# parallel critical pair closing system (Shintani and Hirokawa 2022, Section 8 in LMCS 2023)

Consider the left-linear TRS R:

  f(c()) -> b()

Let C be the following subset of R:

  (empty)

The TRS R is left-linear and all parallel critical pairs are joinable by C.
Therefore, the confluence of R is equivalent to that of C.

# emptiness

The empty TRS is confluent.