When a magistrate dies before his term of office has expired, another shall be elected in his place; and, if the guardian of an orphan dies, the relations shall appoint another within ten days, or be fined a drachma a day for neglect.

The city which has no courts of law will soon cease to be a city; and a judge who sits in silence and leaves the enquiry to the litigants, as in arbitrations, is not a good judge.  A few judges are better than many, but the few must be good.  The matter in dispute should be clearly elicited; time and examination will find out the truth.  Causes should first be tried before a court of neighbours:  if the decision is unsatisfactory, let them be referred to a higher court; or, if necessary, to a higher still, of which the decision shall be final.

Every magistrate is a judge, and every judge is a magistrate, on the day on which he is deciding the suit.  This will therefore be an appropriate place to speak of judges and their functions.  The supreme tribunal will be that on which the litigants agree; and let there be two other tribunals, one for public and the other for private causes.  The high court of appeal shall be composed as follows:—­All the officers of state shall meet on the last day but one of the year in some temple, and choose for a judge the best man out of every magistracy:  and those who are elected, after they have undergone a scrutiny, shall be judges of appeal.  They shall give their decisions openly, in the presence of the magistrates who have elected them; and the public may attend.  If anybody charges one of them with having intentionally decided wrong, he shall lay his accusation before the guardians of the law, and if the judge be found guilty he shall pay damages to the extent of half the injury, unless the guardians of the law deem that he deserves a severer punishment, in which case the judges shall assess the penalty.

As the whole people are injured by offences against the state, they should share in the trial of them.  Such causes should originate with the people and be decided by them:  the enquiry shall take place before any three of the highest magistrates upon whom the defendant and plaintiff can agree.  Also in private suits all should judge as far as possible, and therefore there should be a court of law in every ward; for he who has no share in the administration of justice, believes that he has no share in the state.  The judges in these courts shall be elected by lot and give their decision at once.  The final judgment in all cases shall rest with the court of appeal.  And so, having done with the appointment of courts and the election of officers, we will now make our laws.

‘Your way of proceeding, Stranger, is admirable.’

Then so far our old man’s game of play has gone off well.

‘Say, rather, our serious and noble pursuit.’