Section1
It is recommended that the judge be strong without harshness, gentle without weakness, forbearing, deliberate, perceptive, morally upright, and well acquainted with the judgments of those who came before him.

He must show absolute fairness to both litigants in his glance, his speech, the seating he assigns, and the order in which they are admitted to him—except when one party is a Muslim and the other an unbeliever; in that case the Muslim is admitted first and given the higher seat.

It is unlawful for him to accept a bribe,2 to confer privately with one of the parties, to host him as a guest, or to rise for him while neglecting the other.3

He is likewise forbidden to deliver judgment while in a state of intense anger, pressing need to urinate, severe hunger or thirst, anxiety, boredom, lethargy, drowsiness, painful cold, or oppressive heat. Should he nonetheless rule under such conditions, the verdict stands provided it is correct.

It is also forbidden for him to judge out of ignorance or while unsure of the ruling;4 if he does so, the judgment is invalid even if it happens to be right.

He should instruct his deputies and doorkeepers to treat litigants gently and to keep greed at bay, and he should strive to select elderly or middle-aged men known for piety, chastity, and integrity.

He is allowed5 to employ a scribe to record the proceedings, on condition that the scribe be a Muslim.