Paper 15

^15:12.1  When we speak of executive and deliberative branches of the Uversa government, you may, from the analogy of certain forms of Urantian civil government, reason that we must have a third or judicial branch, and we do; but it does not have a separate personnel. Our courts are constituted as follows: There presides, in accordance with the nature and gravity of the case, an Ancient of Days, a Perfector of Wisdom, or a Divine Counselor. The evidence for or against an individual, a planet, system, constellation, or universe is presented and interpreted by the Censors. The defense of the children of time and the evolutionary planets is offered by the Mighty Messengers, the official observers of the superuniverse government to the local universes and systems. The attitude of the higher government is portrayed by Those High in Authority. And ordinarily the verdict is formulated by a varying-sized commission consisting equally of Those without Name and Number and a group of understanding personalities chosen from the deliberative assembly.

^15:12.2  The courts of the Ancients of Days are the high review tribunals for the spiritual adjudication of all component universes. The Sovereign Sons of the local universes are supreme in their own domains; they are subject to the supergovernment only in so far as they voluntarily submit matters for counsel or adjudication by the Ancients of Days except in matters involving the extinction of will creatures. Mandates of judgment originate in the local universes, but sentences involving the extinction of will creatures are always formulated on, and executed from, the headquarters of the superuniverse. The Sons of the local universes can decree the survival of mortal man, but only the Ancients of Days may sit in executive judgment on the issues of eternal life and death.

^15:12.3  In all matters not requiring trial, the submission of evidence, the Ancients of Days or their associates render decisions, and these rulings are always unanimous. We are here dealing with the councils of perfection. There are no disagreements nor minority opinions in the decrees of these supreme and superlative tribunals.

^15:12.4  With certain few exceptions the supergovernments exercise jurisdiction over all things and all beings in their respective domains. There is no appeal from the rulings and decisions of the superuniverse authorities since they represent the concurred opinions of the Ancients of Days and that Master Spirit who, from Paradise, presides over the destiny of the superuniverse concerned.