The Cantons are left quite free to organize their courts as they please; justice, in general terms, being administered by the Canton with recourse in specified cases to the Federal Tribunal. The cantonal judicial organization presents two well-defined courts: the district courts (_Bezirksgerichte_ or _Amtsgerichte_), which are courts of first instance; and a supreme or appellate court (_Obergericht_ or _Appellationsgericht_), which is the court of final instance. Some of the Cantons have justices of the peace; these are elected by the Communes for a term of six years, and have jurisdiction up to fifty francs. Either party to a suit, or the justice, may demand that two jurors elected by the casting of lots be summoned to assist in the trial. For the hearing of criminal cases, there is a trial in a few Cantons by a jury under the presidency of a section of the supreme-court justices, but in the others a special criminal court acts without a jury. In three of the large Cantons, Geneva, Zurich, and St. Gallen, there are special _Cassation_ courts put above the _Obergericht_. Zurich and Geneva have also special commercial courts (_Handelsgerichte_). In many of the Cantons the supreme court exercises certain semi-executive functions, taking the place of a ministry of justice, in overseeing the action of the lower courts, and of all judicial officers, such as the states-attorneys. The courts make annual reports to the legislative council, containing a full review of the judicial business of each year, discussing the state of justice, with criticisms upon the system in vogue, and suggestions of reform. These reports are important sources of judicial statistics. The terms of cantonal judges vary from three to four and six years. The judges of the inferior courts are elected directly by the people; those of the supreme courts by the legislative council. In Bern the legislative council also elects the presidents of the district courts. No qualification for election to the bench is required except that of being an “active citizen.” But invariably, to the higher courts at least, competent lawyers are chosen; and re-election is the rule. The district courts render final judgments on claims from fifty to two hundred francs. Either party to the suit has the right to demand that two district judges preside as associate judges. The district courts, consisting of a president and four judges, decide as of first resort, and the appellate chambers of the supreme court, as of second and final resort, all claims exceeding two hundred francs. The commercial court decides finally all claims exceeding five hundred francs, provided the defendant is entered in the commercial register. In proceedings before the district and commercial courts the claim is first submitted to a justice acting as _propitiator_; he summons the parties for the purpose of effecting an amicable adjustment of their difficulties; if