What was the court system in ancient Greece?

Ancient Greek courts were cheap and run by laypeople. There were no court officials, no lawyers, and no official judges. A normal case consisted of two litigants, arguing if an unlawful act had been committed. The jury would decide whether the accused was guilty, and should he be guilty, what the punishment will be.

What is a Greek court called?

Heliaia or Heliaea (Ancient Greek: Ἡλιαία; Doric: Ἁλία Halia) was the supreme court of ancient Athens. The view generally held among scholars is that the court drew its name from the ancient Greek verb ἡλιάζεσθαι, which means συναθροίζεσθαι, namely congregate.

Do Greek courts have juries?

Today, depending on where you are in the world, a jury could have six to fifteen members. In Ancient Greece, the smallest number of members on a jury was 201 but the average jury contained 501 members. Some juries numbered at 2001 members or more.

What is the best known legal system of ancient Greece?

The dicasts were selected by lot, every citizen over 30 years old being eligible. In rare cases of great political importance, the whole hēliaia (i.e., the popular assembly organized as a court of 6,001 men) was convened.

How did the court work in ancient Athens?

The Athenian law court was large and decisions were made by majority. The courts could also exile those from society who were gaining too much power and could become tyrants. The laws of Athens also changed as the courts changed to work better with society.

When was the jury system created in Greece?

The first use of juries in Athens coincided with the founding of Athenian democracy in 590 B.C.E. A council ran both the government and the court system. In 463 B.C.E., Pericles transferred power from the aristocrat-controlled courts–courts that had jealously protected private property rights–to people’s courts.

What was the role of courts in Athens?

How does the court system work in the US?

The federal court system has three main levels: district courts (the trial court), circuit courts which are the first level of appeal, and the Supreme Court of the United States, the final level of appeal in the federal system. The plaintiff has the initial choice of bringing the case in state or federal court.

What type of legal system does Greece have?

civil law
Greece is a civil law country, and thus jurisprudence is not considered as a source of law. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, although article 28 of the Greek Constitution provides that international conventions ratified by Greece as well as EU legislation shall prevail over any other provision of law.

What did the people’s court do in Athens?

Of almost equal importance to the Assembly and Council, and probably of greater importance (if not greater prestige) than the Areopagus was the People’s Court, the Heliaea and other courts where juries of citizens would listen to cases, would vote on the guilt or innocence of their fellow citizens, and vote on …

Did the Greeks invent jury system?

Trial by jury was not invented by the ancient Greeks. But it was fine tuned. We use many of their steps in our court system today. In the USA today, a defendant can choose to have a judge rather than a jury trial.

What is the judicial system like in Greece?

The judicial system of Greece is the country’s constitutionally established system of courts. In Greece, the Constitution has firmly established the independence of the justice system. However the selection of the presiding judges of the three Supreme Courts is regulated by the Government (Ministry of Justice).

What kind of cases did ancient Athenian courts hear?

Athenian Courts heard two types of cases—private [ dikai] or public [ graphai ]. There were no attorneys or prosecutors. Complaints could only be brought by individuals: our modern concept of a “legal” but not “natural” “person”, such as a corporation or partnership, apparently did not exist.

Does Greece have a Supreme Constitutional Court?

The last one exists in most European countries, which have a Supreme Constitutional Court, such as Germany, Spain or even France, which has a Constitutional Council. Since there is no such court in Greece, all courts are deemed competent to decide upon the constitutionality of a legal provision.

How is the independence of the Greek justice system safeguarded?

In Greece, the independence of the justice is safeguarded by the Constitution. According to section E’ of the Constitution (Articles 87-100A): Only professional and regular judges dispense justice. This judges are professional, permanent and irremovable, enjoying full personal and functional independence.