Ifanyonedieswhileheisholdingapublicoffice，andmorethanthirtydaysbeforehistermofofficeexpires，letthosewhosebusinessitiselectanothertotheofficeinthesamemannerasbefore。Andifanyonewhoisentrustedwithorphansdies，lettherelationsbothonthefather’sandmother’sside，whoareresidingathome，includingcousins，appointanotherguardianwithintendays，orbefinedadrachmaadayforneglecttodoso。
Acitywhichhasnoregularcourtsoflawceasestobeacity；andagain，ifajudgeissilentandsaysnomoreinpreliminaryproceedingsthanthelitigants，asisthecaseinarbitrations，hewillneverbeabletodecidejustly；whereforeamultitudeofjudgeswillnoteasilyjudgewell，norafewiftheyarebad。Thepointindisputebetweenthepartiesshouldbemadeclear；andtime，anddeliberation，andrepeatedexamination，greatlytendtoclearupdoubts。Forthisreason，hewhogoestolawwithanothershouldgofirstofalltohisneighboursandfriendswhoknowbestthequestionsatissue。Andifhebeunabletoobtainfromthemasatisfactorydecision，lethimhaverecoursetoanothercourt；andifthetwocourtscannotsettlethematter，letathirdputanendtothesuit。
Nowtheestablishmentofcourtsofjusticemayberegardedasachoiceofmagistrates，foreverymagistratemustalsobeajudgeofsomethings；andthejudge，thoughhebenotamagistrate，yetincertainrespectsisaveryimportantmagistrateonthedayonwhichheisdeterminingasuit。Regardingthenthejudgesalsoasmagistrates，letussaywhoarefittobejudges，andofwhattheyaretobejudges，andhowmanyofthemaretojudgeineachsuit。Letthatbethesupremetribunalwhichthelitigantsappointincommonforthemselves，choosingcertainpersonsbyagreement。Andlettherebetwoothertribunals：oneforprivatecauses，whenacitizenaccusesanotherofwronginghimandwishestogetadecision；theotherforpubliccauses，inwhichsomecitizenisofopinionthatthepublichasbeenwrongedbyanindividual，andiswillingtovindicatethecommoninterests。Andwemustnotforgettomentionhowthejudgesaretobequalified，andwhotheyaretobe。Inthefirstplace，lettherebeatribunalopentoallprivatepersonswhoaretryingcausesoneagainstanotherforthethirdtime，andletthisbecomposedasfollows：-Alltheofficersofstate，aswellannualasthoseholdingofficeforalongerperiod，whenthenewyearisabouttocommence，inthemonthfollowingafterthesummersolstice，onthelastdaybutoneoftheyear，shallmeetinsometemple，andcallingGodtowitness，shalldedicateonejudgefromeverymagistracytobetheirfirst-fruits，choosingineachofficehimwhoseemstothemtobethebest，andwhomtheydeemlikelytodecidethecausesofhisfellow-citizensduringtheensuingyearinthebestandholiestmanner。Andwhentheelectioniscompleted，ascrutinyshallbeheldinthepresenceoftheelectorsthemselves，andifanyoneberejectedanothershallbechoseninthesamemanner。Thosewhohaveundergonethescrutinyshalljudgethecausesofthosewhohavedeclinedtheinferiorcourts，andshallgivetheirvoteopenly。Thecouncillorsandothermagistrateswhohaveelectedthemshallberequiredtobehearersandspectatorsofthecauses；andanyoneelsemaybepresentwhopleases。Ifonemanchargesanotherwithhavingintentionallydecidedwrong，lethimgototheguardiansofthelawandlayhisaccusationbeforethem，andhewhoisfoundguiltyinsuchacaseshallpaydamagestotheinjuredpartyequaltohalftheinjury；butifheshallappeartodeserveagreaterpenalty，thejudgesshalldeterminewhatadditionalpunishmentheshallsuffer，andhowmuchmoreheoughttopaytothepublictreasury，andtothepartywhobroughtthesuit。
Inthejudgmentofoffencesagainstthestate，thepeopleoughttoparticipate，forwhenanyonewrongsthestateallarewronged，andmayreasonablycomplainiftheyarenotallowedtoshareinthedecision。Suchcausesoughttooriginatewiththepeople，andtheoughtalsotohavethefinaldecisionofthem，butthetrialofthemshalltakeplacebeforethreeofthehighestmagistrates，uponwhomtheplaintiffandthedefendantshallagree；andiftheyarenotabletocometoanagreementthemselves，thecouncilshallchooseoneofthetwoproposed。Andinprivatesuits，too，asfarasispossible，allshouldhaveashare；forhewhohasnoshareintheadministrationofjustice，isapttoimaginethathehasnoshareinthestateatall。Andforthisreasonthereshallbeacourtoflawineverytribe，andthejudgesshallbechosenbylot；-theyshallgivetheirdecisionsatonce，andshallbeinaccessibletoentreaties。
Thefinaljudgmentshallrestwiththatcourtwhich，aswemaintain，hasbeenestablishedinthemostincorruptibleformofwhichhumanthingsadmit：thisshallbethecourtestablishedforthosewhoareunabletogetridoftheirsuitseitherinthecourtsofneighboursorofthetribes。