[jason taylor]

The judiciary is centered around a state sponsored legal guild which controls the licence to practice criminal law (for civil law all you need is to say, "hey look at me, I'm a lawyer"). The various members go through a process similar to a Roman path of honors. The guild is divided into chapters not only to handle jurisdictions but to make it easier to select counsel. Each chapter is expected to be ambidextrous providing both defense and prosecution in turn. Rivalry between chapters is deliberately cultivated so that representatives of opposite sides of a "feud" can be chosen on a given case.

At a certain level of seniority a lawyer is authorized to be eligible as a magistrate.

Choice of Magistrates is not vested in the Head of State, nor in the Legislature, nor in popular election. They are instead in a council of electors. These are chosen by a series of elections and lotteries (much like a Venetian Doge's election). With two caveats. In the first election a given portion of the electors-of-electors ARE chosen by the Head of State, the Legislature, and popular election: the rest are chosen by guild members. Similarly when the final cut is made half must be guild members and half must not be. The term of an elector is for seven years, or until resignation, death or disbarrment. The Grand Justiciar presides over the Electors with a lifetime term unless he resigns or again is disbarred. He has no vote except in the event of a tie.

The electors do not try cases. Their only duty is to select the magistrates to preside over given cases.

Aside from the national council of electors, there are regional and municipal ones chosen in a similar way.

Deputy electors are chosen to by the council to examine a given attorney's qualification to ascend to the next level of seniority. They can make recommendations for choice of magistrates but have no other rights in that regard.