Page:The Constitutions and Other Select Documents Illustrative of the History of France, 1789-1907, Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged.pdf/120

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
90
Constitution of 1791

to send to the bar of the legislative body a deputation of eight of its members, who shall present to it the list of the judgments rendered, along with each of which shall be a condensed account of the suit and the text of the law which shall have determined the decision.

23. A high national court, formed of members of the tribunal of cassation and of high jurors, shall have jurisdiction over the offences of the ministers and principal agents of the executive power, and over crimes which shall assail the general security of the state, when the legislative body shall have rendered a decree of accusation.

It shall not assemble except upon the decree of the legislative body, and only at a distance of at least thirty thousand toises from the place where the legislative body shall hold its sittings.

24. The writs of execution of the tribunals shall be expressed as follows:

“N. (the name of the king), by the grace of God and by the constitutional law of the state. King of the French, to all present and to come, greeting. The tribunal of. . . . . .has rendered the following judgment:

(Here shall be copied the judgment, in which mention shall he made of the names of the judges.)

“We command and order to all bailiffs, upon this requisition, to put the said judgment into execution; to our commissioners before the tribunals, to support them; and to all commandants and officers of the public forces, to lend assistance, when they shall be legally summoned thereto. In testimony of which, the present judgment has been signed by the president of the tribunal and the clerk.”

25. The functions of the commissioners of the king before the tribunals shall be to require the observation of the laws in the judgments rendered, and to cause the judgments rendered to be executed.

They shall not be public accusers, but they shall be heard upon all accusations and shall make demand for the regularity of the forms, during the course of the proceedings, and for the application of the law before the sentence.

26. The commissioners of the king before the tribunals shall denounce to the foreman of the jury, either ex-officio or