CHAPTER IV - START OF SITTINGS ART 291: The president assisted by two magistrates shall chair the sitting at the venue, on the day and time scheduled for opening. The court registrar shall call up the assessors selected randomly. Any assessor, who, without any legitimate reasons, fails to honour the summons that was sent to him/her, shall be ordered to pay a fine of 5,000 francs. These decisions shall be unappealable. A defaulting assessor who provides legitimate reasons shall, pursuant to the pleadings of the public prosecutor, no longer have to pay the fine. ART 292: The provisions of the previous article shall apply to any assessor who, without authorisation, fails to perform his/her duties although he/she is present. ART.293: Should one or several assessors fail to show up on the schedu led day, the missing number shall be completed by (an) alternate assessor(s); if there are not enough, they shall be completed by assessors selected randomly from the public present at the hearing. The latter shall have to act as assessors even if they had served in this capacity during the previous session. ART 294: When a criminal trial seems likely to drag on, the president of the court of assizes may appoint one or two additional assessors from among alternate assessors selected in the order in which their names are drawn or eventually appointed as stated in the previous article. They shall take part in the proceedings. Should one of the assessors or both be unable to follow the proceedings until the judgement is passed, they shall be replaced by alternate assessors. ART 295: The right to recuse may be exercised by the defence, and the party claiming damages on one of the grounds stated in article 595 of this code. However, the right to recuse may not prevent the constitution of the court of assizes. The motion to recuse shall be judged on the spot by the court without support from assessors. ART 296: Assessors shall listen, standing and in public, to the president read the following swearing-in statement: "You swear and promise before God and before man to examine with the most keen attention cases that will filed during this session, to shun hatred or wickedness, fear or affection, and to decide based solely on the charges, grounds of defence and legal provisions, following your conscience and your firm conviction, with the impartiality and firmness of an honest and free person, to protect the confidentiality of deliberations, even after the end of your duties". Each assessor, called up individually by the president shall reply, while raising their hand: "I do so swear, under pain of nullity." ART 297: Assessors shall seat on the benches of the court behind magistrates and according to their respective ages. CHAPTER V - EXAMINING CASES Section I General Provisions ART 298: Proceedings may not be interrupted and must continue until a decision from the court of assizes puts an end to the examination of the case. They may be suspended for the duration of time needed for judges and the accused to rest. ART 299: The president shall have discretionary powers pursuant to which he/she may, in his/her honour and conscience, take any measure he/she considers necessary to discover the truth. 50