ABSTRACT
ANYONE had the right to petition the magistrate of the area in which he lived to investigate a case and punish offenders against the laws, and all had the duty to report crimes within the area of their responsibility. Only if a magistrate refused to enter a case for investigation could the petitioner present a plea direct to a higher authority, though there was provision for a case to be transferred to another court if either accused or accuser were related to the magistrate.
