The Sultan and His PeopleOscanyan, C. (Christopher)
History
The Sultan and His People
Oscanyan, C. (Christopher)
Turkey -- Description and travel; Turkey -- Social life and customs
The Kadis adopt a singular method to disqualify the testimony. The
questions which are put in the cross-examination, are not only entirely
irrelevant to the subject matter in dispute, but would even puzzle
the "cutest Yankee" how to answer. Their object is to disqualify the
testimony by questions, no matter how ridiculous, but by which the
witnesses will be forced at last to utter the ominous word Bilmem--I
don't know.
With a view to ascertain whether the witnesses are well acquainted
with the party in whose behalf they are testifying, they are asked,
"who was the grandfather of the plaintiff?" The usual and formal
answer in such cases is, "Abraham," meaning the old Patriarch. "His
great grandfather?" "Adam," beyond whom he (the plaintiff), is not
supposed to have any ancestors.
On a certain occasion, a judge being very anxious to defeat the
testimony of a clever witness, after various ingenious interrogatories,
made the quaint inquiry, "who married Adam and Eve?" To which the
witness unhesitatingly replied, not, as it may be supposed, "I don't
know,"--oh no, not so stupid as that--but, "I was not invited to
the wedding."
It was a maxim of the government and a profitable one to its employés,
that in the administration of justice, a speedy infliction of
punishment, even though unjust, was more desirable than a tedious
course of litigation, as the fear and awe thus infused into the
hearts of the people, rendered them submissive to the most irrational
commands, and terrified the mass into a dread of infringing the laws,
although some few might suffer unjustly.
This principle, though nominally abandoned by the government, is
still maintained by the judiciary; therefore, no pleading by lawyers
is allowed, and the sentence is passed with all possible dispatch,
or deferred at pleasure, as circumstances may require.
The whole of Turkey is divided into two separate judicial districts,
viz., Anadolou, and Roumely, or Asia and Europe, and there is a
Kazi-ul-Asker, or chief justice, appointed to each district, who
preside over their respective courts.
There, is, however, a supreme court called, Arz-Odassi, or court of
appeals, where the Grand Vezir and the Grand Mufty conjointly preside,
and there all cases, when appealed, are heard; but the sentences
are seldom reversed, as they wish to preserve the decisions of the
judiciary courts inviolable. When the injustice is too gross and
palpable, a new Ilam or sentence is granted by this court, without
any allusion to prior proceedings.
It is true that the people have the right to appeal to his majesty
for redress, but as they are invariably referred to this court for
reconsideration, justice is seldom rendered to the appellants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account