Yosef Karo

“ One is prohibited from appointing an ignoramus with the understanding that he will confer with a scholar each time. Cities that do not have scholars who are fit to judge or cities that consist of ignoramuses exclusively, but have a need for judges so that people do not go to secular courts, should appoint the best and wisest of them (with the knowledge of the city) even though they are unfit to judge. Once the people of the city have accepted them, no one has the ability to disqualify them. ”

“ The judge should also not degrade himself or act frivolously in front of the public because once a person has been appointed as an activist on the public, he may not perform work in front of three of them so that he does not become degraded in front of them. All the more so is he prohibited from eating, drinking or getting inebriated in front of the public. Any judge who does not have someone to serve him is prohibited from accepting a judgeship. ”

“ Paragraph 1- Anyone who appoints an unfit judge who is not a scholar in the wisdom of Torah and is not fit to be a judge violates a negative commandment, even if the judge is wonderful and has other positive qualities. ”

“ If one causes him pain, the court has permission to strike him with mardus lashes. The messenger has the status of two witnesses with respect to believing him that he was degraded and we would put a nidui on the individual who degraed him. ”