The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1905-11-21

In recent number Of the Grande Revue
of Paris. NJ. Andre-Levy-O ulmann gives
some data about the judiciary system of
Turkey. The Jury system is unknown
Cases Of all sorts. criminal and civil. are
decided directly BIZ the Judges. and in
many Instances with great haste The
execution OF civil sentences is performed
in practically the same was as in other
European countries. and corporal punish
ment is also substantially the same. the
chief punishmeuts are death. hard labor.
and Imprisonment. There is no law
which specifies the manner in which
capital punishment shall be executed, but
the death penalty cannot be applied until
after an imperial trade has been issued.
The trade fixes the mode of execution.
which ordinarily IS by hanging.
The regime of the Turkish prisons Is
very simple. According to the law there
must be a prison in every town and a
special prison. in certain places. for
criminals sentenced to more than five
demned TO less than I'VE years serve the
sentence in the ordinary prisons. The
law also prescribes that prisoners con-
demned TO hard labor must be loaded
with chain and made TO perform hard
work but this provision is not followed.
for the authorities content themselves
with attaching an iron ring to one of the
legs of the prisoner Also, according to
law. the director must arrange a scale of
manual labor in order that the prisoners
may not be without employment, but
this provision is likewise ignored. The
prisoners who wish 10 work may do so.
but it is at their own expense and for
their own profit. In general the prison.
ers when they work at all. make. beaded
bags and SO forth. which they or their
families sell.
The Turkish vilayets are divided into
ACCOMPLISHMENTS, and these again into
cantons. In each canton there is a trib-
unal of first instance which is composed
of a president and two elected members.
In the vilayets and in the arrondisse-
h firth n inns Fs
divided into two sections. one criminal
and one civil. and both. like the courts
of the cantons. have a president and two
elected members. The courts of appeal
situated in the vilayets, are composed of
a president named by the government,
and OF four members, elected for two
wears by general council and eligible
Tor reelection. These courts examine
civil cases appealed from the courts of
first instance. and there are similar courts
for the examination of appealed criminal
ever may be reversed by the court of
cessation. Further. IN each vilayet there
are sO-called commercial tribunals. COM
posed of president. of Judge named by
the imperial government and of four
temporary judges elected by the CONNER
ciaI bodies. two being MussulmanS and
two -Mussulmans. These courts have
Jurisdiction in commercial and maritime
matters and act as courts of appeal for
the commercial cases passed on in the
courts of first INSTANCE. And lastly, there
is a special. so-called religious court
Which is common among Ottoman Jews
and which Is vested with fun judicial
powers.
LAWYERS in Turkey are rather anomal-
Gus individuals. First. they are recruited
10 very slight extent among the Mus
sulmans being chiefly Greeks Jews and
Armenians Although before 1887 the ex-
srsise OF the legal profession in Turkey
raouired the fulfliment of certain condi-
lions together with an authorization from
the minister of justice. now the practice
OF law is open 10 any one. In fact. who
civil and commercial cases. and only
criminal lawyers must have a special