• Justice was administered through courts, which were established in all the major towns. As far as judicial administration is concerned, the king was the supreme authority, but various civil as well as criminal courts functioned at the local level right from village to province. It seems most of the cases were disposed off at the village level by village elders. 

There were two types of courts:

• The dharmasthiya courts mostly dealt with civil law relating to marriage, inheritance and other aspects of civil life. 
• Another type of court was called kantakasodhana (removal of thorns). 
• Supreme Court: The Supreme Court was situated in the capital, with the Chief Justice known as the ‘Dharmathikarin.’
• Punishment: The nature of the punishment was determined by factors such as the severity of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, and the varna (social class) of both the offender and the plaintiff.
• Judicial hierarchy at various administrative levels:
• District Level: Subordinate courts were overseen by officials known as ‘Amatyas.’
• Towns: Legal cases were resolved by officials titled ‘Nagara Vyavaharika Mahamantra.’
• Village Level: Disputes were settled by local elders referred to as ‘Gramavradha.’
• This structured judicial system allowed for efficient resolution of disputes throughout the empire.

• The courts were presided over by three judges (well-versed in sacred laws ) and three amatyas (secretaries).
• The main purpose of these courts was to clear the society of anti-social elements and various types of crimes, and it functioned more like the modern police, and relied on a network of spies for information about such anti-social activities. Punishments for crimes were usually quite severe.
• Police stations were found in all principal centres. Both Kautilya and Asokan Edicts mention about jails and jail officials. The Dhamma Mahamatras were asked by Asoka to take steps against unjust imprisonment. Remission of sentences is also mentioned in Asoka’s inscriptions