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The Law Courts of Belgium.

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ident judge. The procedure is very simple, which holds sessions at least once a week and parties may conduct their cases without for the purpose of hearing the report of the procureur-geueral concerning the prosecu the aid of counsel. A Court of Assize is held in the capital tion of criminals. This chamber determines city of each of the nine provinces every whether to liberate the accused for want of three months for the trial of those accused sufficient evidence, to send them before a of crimes. Trial is by jury. A sketch of correctional tribunal, or, in case of serious the procedure is given below. An appeal crime, before the Assizes.

Majestically towering above all the tri lies from this court direct to the Cour de bunals already de Cassation. scribed, rises the There are three Cour de Cassation Courts of Appeal, (Court of Annul established respec ment), the su tively at Brussels, preme body which Ghent and Liege, exercises a con for the purpose of stant surveillance hearing appeals over all, and aims, from judgments by its decisions, to rendered in first maintain a harmo resort by the Tri nious and uniform bunals of Primary jurisprudence. It Instance and the sits at Brussels and Tribunals of Com is composed of a merce. Each court first president, a is divided into a president of cham Civil and a Correc ber, and fifteen tional Chamber. councilors who are The former is com named by the king posed of seven from double lists councilors (judg presented respec es), including a tively by the court president judge, an itself and the Sen attorney - general ate. and a recorder; A TYPICAL BELGIAN LAWYER and the latter of This august six councilors, an attorney-general and a court consists of two chambers; one of recorder. The councilors are appointed by which hears appeals in civil cases, and the the king from double lists submitted re other in criminal and police matters, besides spectively by the Provincial Councils and special matters attributed to it by law. In the Courts of Appeal. The presence of five united chambers it hears trials of impeach councilors, including the president, is neces ment of the king's ministers and decides sary at a trial. A procureur-gcneral of the conflicts between the executive and judicial king, an attorney-general, and substitutes authorities. Whenever the chambers sit sep conduct the prosecution on the correctional arately there must be seven councilors on side of the court. the bench, including the president. But Another section of each Court of Appeal when the court is united at least thirteen is the Chambre des Mises cu Accusation, councilors must participate. A procureur