Letter 9020: When we provide you to our provinces by annual appointment, with God's help, and there is no shortage of courts...

20. KING ATHALARIC TO ALL THE JUDGES OF THE PROVINCES. [1] Since, with God's help, we furnish our provinces with the yearly renewal [of judicial appointments], and there is no lack of tribunals distributed throughout all the territories of Italy, we understand that the abundance of lawsuits arises from a scarcity of justice. For it is shown to be the fault of your negligence whenever men are compelled to seek from us the benefits of the laws. For who would choose to petition so far off for what he sees has come to his own dwelling-place? [2] But in order that we might take away from you your crafty excuses and from the provincials their harsh necessities, concerning certain cases hitherto neglected through the worst sort of sloth we have decreed, by the determination of an edictal proclamation, both that your confidence in judging rightly may grow and that little by little wicked boldness may be diminished. See that this is set forth, in the customary manner, through the public assemblies by a publication of thirty days, so that whoever after these remedies has presumed to persist may be held as one condemned by law, beyond hope of pardon.

XX. AD UNIVERSOS IUDICES PROVINCIARUM ATHALARICUS REX. [1] Cum vos provinciis nostris iuvante deo annua reparatione praestemus nec desint iudicia per universos fines Italiae distributa, intellegimus de inopia iustitiae copiam venire causarum. culpa siquidem vestrae probatur esse neglegentiae, quotiens a nobis coguntur homines legum beneficia postulare. nam quis eligeret tam longe petere, quod in suis videret sedibus advenisse? [2] Sed ut vobis versutas excusationes et duras necessitates provincialibus tolleremus, de aliquibus casibus hactenus pessimo torpore neglectis edictalis programmatis definitione censuimus, ut et vobis cresceret confidentia recte iudicandi et paulatim audacia maligna possit inminui. quod more sollemni per conventus publicos triginta dierum facite proponi editione, ut iure condemnatus habeatur qui post haec remedia manere praesumpserit desperatus.