COMLLAINANT AND DEPENDENT IN A SUIT, 
405 
whose system was afterwards to he softened and corrected by the 
mild and merciful tenet of Booddhism. 
As before observed the course of justice is nearly alike in both 
civil and and criminal matters, as observed by M. I). L. Loubere in 
his day. 
The King is the supreme judge in his dominions, and his fiat 
alone sanctions the sentence of death pronounced by a judge, and in 
general sentence is pronounced by him. But he may delegate his 
power of life and death to a viceroy or commissioner, and as the 
latter has two associates in his power he is somewhat restrained by 
them. 
Their principle is to consider the accused as guilty until proved 
innocent, and therefore their prisoners are treated with the utmost 
harshness. 
Various unjustifiable methods are resorted to in order to induce 
confession, such as gagging, thumb screwing, squeezing of the head 
betwixt blocks, and pummelling with the elbows. 
COMPLAINANT AND DEFENDANT IN A SUIT, 
May respectively challenge witnesses mutual evidences having been 
once questioned by either of the parties, or on the behalf of either, 
may not thereafter be challenged. He who challenges will general¬ 
ly be nonsuited. The law inculcates the expediency of the least 
possible delay in the examination of witnesses in civil as well as cri¬ 
minal cases. Witnesses not being obtainable , the law ordains proof 
by various ordeals as before stated, and a party refusing such tests is 
generally non-suited, such are the ordeal by fire, where the person 
passes over a ditch filled with live embers, with uncovered feet; by 
melted lead, or boiling oil, into which he thrusts his hand ; by water, 
into which the parties plunge, he being successful who remains long¬ 
est under it, if indeed they be not both actually suffocated ; exposure 
to wild beasts; administering of drugs and watching their effects. 
But women in a pregnant state are not subjected to ordeals until af¬ 
ter delivery. 
It seems only in special cases that witnesses are subject to ordeal. 
