The Senate empowers the creation of Magistrates, in all cities and towns within the Empire. When a question arises in a matter of Law, that is deemed by all interested parties to be of insufficient import to warrant the expense of placing the question before an Imperial Judge, the matter will therefore be decided by the local Magistrate. 

The Senate recognises that an interested party may wish to dispute the Judgment of a Magistrate. However, aside from the individual Magistrate who originally made the ruling, only an Imperial Judge may vary a ruling made by a Magistrate. 

Magistrates are empowered to hear matters of small crime, but any interested party in a criminal matter may request that the matter is of sufficiently great import to justify its placing before an Imperial Judge, in which case the Magistrate must rule that the question be put to an Imperial Judge. 

It is declared that Magistrates should be appointed for 10 years, by a process of Election of all the Citizens in the town or city where the Magistrate will serve. Sufficient Magistrates should be appointed by need, that all the required workload can be heard promptly.

© Tim Hart 2003
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