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Law within the League
varies from state to state, generally the basic tenets of law, regarding
murder and theft etc are the same, nowhere is murder legal. The
laws that have the most variety are those of taxation, blasphemy
and property ownership.
COMMON LAW and REEVES
In Algandy the law of the land is the Common Law, administered
by appointed judges of the Archduke called Reeves, the four large
settlements of Algandy have a Reeve on a permanent basis.
In the rest of the Duchy a Reeve follows a circuit from village
to village hearing cases as he goes. Reeves administer high justice,
judging cases of theft higher than 100 Crowns, crimes against the
state, crimes against the Archduke and crimes dealing with murder
or damage greater than 100 Crowns. If such a crime has been performed
and the criminal apprehended then they must be detained until a
Reeve arrives, often a delay of several months.
PETTY CRIME
Crimes less serious than this are judged by the local noble or by
a nobles representative such as a village headman. Fines are the
normal punishment for these offences whether in coin or in labour,
the most serious punishment that can be imposed is branding, often
the punishment for a thief or a defiler of shrines and nobles property.
The local court mainly deals in property disputes, where one farmer
has moved the boundary stones of his property to the detriment of
his neighbours.
LAW STONES
Another custom of note in Algandy, with regards to justice is the
tradition of the Law Stones the stone monuments of Algandy's
barbarian past. An unwritten law says that a dispute between two
men may be settled here by combat, no weapons or armour is permitted,
no witnesses are required, the stones themselves acting as witnesses
to the combat. Should the combat result in death then the victor
is guilty of murder, but as long as no weapon was used then the
matter is treated lightly and a heavy fine is charged rather than
execution.
NOBLE JUSTICE
Noble Justice is administered by the Archduke himself, only landed
nobles are eligible to be tried under this system. This dates back
to the same period as the law stones, with trial by ordeal and trial
by combat still being acceptable forms of determining innocence.
Trial by ordeal involves a burn or scald, the clean healing of which
proves truth, trial by combat is a fight to the death with weapons,
normally axe and shield, champions may take the place of the accused
or the accuser in the fight.
CHURCH COURTS
One form of justice rarely seen in Algandy are Church Courts,
imposed on those found guilty of sacrilege, blasphemy, and oath
breaking or consorting with Evil. The Church is not as politically
active in Algandy as in the other states hence this court is only
convened for the most serious crimes, the high clergy who will act
as judges often have to travel long distances to any trial in Algandy.
This may result in heretics being transported under guard to states
where Church law is stronger and more common.
About Algandy
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