The legal system of Corwyth

LAWS AND ORDINANCES OF CORWYTH

1. All citizens of Corwyth are held to be equal in the sight of the law, and no rank, no title, may protect the guilty from the full punishment of the law.

2. All citizens of Corwyth are held to be of worth in the sight of the law, regardless of species. Racial and specieistic slurs shall be punishable by fines or more, depending upon the severity of the charge.

3. All infringement against the law shall be judged by the Imperial Power which cannot be deceived, and there will be no court of appeal, no right to retrial.

4. All fines as set by Corwyth shall be paid within the time set, or imprisonment shall be the lot of he who transgresses.

5. All acts contrary to the well-being of Corwyth shall be judged by intent and behaviour, and sentence shall be given accordingly.

6. Those who are titled shall be worthy of the respect to which their rank entitles them. Refusal on the part of those under the protection of Corwyth's laws to give fealty to Corwyth's Imperials and those representatives of the Imperials which the Imperials deem fitting, shall be seen as treason and punished accordingly.

7. Those who are titled must behave in a way which honours Corwyth. Abuse of rank may result in reduction of said rank, and such fines and chastisements as seem appropriate to the Imperials.

8. Citizenship is granted upon request by any sentient creature who (i) acknowledges the rulership of the Imperials; (ii) harbours no resentment to the Empire; (iii) is not a creature of evil working against those principles of ethical and moral standards as pertain in the Empire. No excemption of citizenship pertains as regards gender, race, or age.

9. The judgement and rulership of the Imperials are final.

10. Crimes against the Empire are listed as follows:
(i) Murder. Premeditated murder without moral defence is the worst crime, and those who are judged guilty of this crime shall be executed without appeal.
(ii) Murder by provocation. If it be found that the murderer was provoked beyond measure by the victim, then special consideration may be given as it pleases the Imperials. Those who are judged guilty of this crime may suffer punishments from imprisonment, stripping of all property and rank, torture by tickle, or banishment from Corwyth's Empire. Punishment may be lenient or severe, depending upon the decision of the Imperials.

(iii) Manslaughter. If a fight results in the death of one, then the other shall be held both morally and criminally responsible, and must come before the Imperials to account for the death. Both intent and actions shall determine the punishment, if there be any. If death results as an accident for which any individual or individuals can be held responsible, those individuals shall come before the Imperials to account for the death. Punishments range from imprisonment, stripping of all property and rank, fines, torture by tickle, or banishment from Corwyth's Empire. Severity of punishment shall depend upon the nature of the offence.

(iv) Destruction of property. Those whose actions result in destruction of property shall pay to the owner of said property the full amount of completely restoring or rebuilding the property in question. If the guilty party has insufficient funds to ensure the restoration of the property, he shall be found work on one of Corwyth's islands, and a portion of his earnings shall be garnered for repayment of the debt. So that the innocent party does not suffer the lack of his property, the Empire shall pay for the restoration of his building in the meantime, and repayments shall go directly to the Empire.

(v) Theft of property. Corwyth does not acknowledge the existence of a Thieves' Guild, and thus shall not draw a distinction between the acts of a guild member or a non-guild member. Anyone found guilty of thievery shall be taken in charge and held to account for his misdeeds. All stolen items shall be returned to the rightful owners, and a period of imprisonment and/or torture by tickling shall be part of the mandatory sentence upon the thief.
*Please note: if there WERE a Thieves' Guild (which Corwyth does not admit exists), then such a Guild would provide protection in the form of a safe hiding place, witnesses to 'prove' the thief was nowhere near the place in question at the time of the theft, and a safe way of disposing of stolen goods, as well as excellent thieves' toolkits, reliable information, and so on. However, this is all moot - because there IS NO THIEVES' GUILD in Corwyth.

(vi) Libel and Slander. If a citizen of Corwyth is abused (either verbally or in written form) beyond the acceptable limit imposed by the exchange of riposte and friendly insult, by any individual, then that individual will be held responsible for the distress suffered by the abused citizen, loss of business directly or indirectly relating to the abuse, and so on. The Imperials shall determine whether the verbal or written abuse exceed the acceptable limits, and impose the punishments - ranging from fines, torture by tickle, or imprisonment - upon the offender.

(vii) Physical assault. If anyone assaults an individual or individuals, or causes by plotting or cunning the injury of an individual or individuals, that person or persons who caused the injury shall be held entirely accountable for whatever injury is suffered by the victim/s. The aggressor shall be taken in charge and judged by the Imperials, where intent and action shall be of importance in determining the extent of the individual's guilt, and what punishment shall be inflicted. Punishment ranges from torture by tickle, heavy fines (such fines going directly as compensation to the victim/s), and imprisonment, as well as the stripping of all property and rank if the intent be found to be malicious and premeditated.

viii) Assault of an officer of the Orders of Corwyth. Any assault (verbal, written, or physical), against the duly assigned representatives of the Imperials shall be dealt with severely. In addition to assault charges, the guilty party has also committed treason, and shall be judged accordingly by trial before the Imperials. Punishment includes mandatory imprisonment, mandatory torture by tickle, and possible fines as set by the Imperials.

ix) Possession of any drug or chemical which induces altered states of consciousness detrimental to the entire well being of the individual, or delinquency of choice - with intention to distribute said drug. This crime is considered heinous, and shall be dealt with extremely severely. At the extreme end of punishment lies banishment and permanent imprisonment, and lesser punishments include mandatory torture by tickle, heavy fines, and other punishments as deemed suitable by the Imperials.

ix - a) If the distribution of said drug as stated above results in death or disfigurement or impairment of any other individual, the crime may be judged as manslaughter or homicide, or as a deliberate attack, and be judged accordingly.

x) Possession of any drug or chemical which induces altered states of consciousness detrimental to the entire well being of the individual, or delinquency of choice – with intention to administer said drug upon self. This crime is perceived as harmful to the individual, and while it is in violation of Corwythian Law to possess such drugs, the individual is treated in a sympathetic manner, the primary concern being his/her rehabilitation. Fines may be set at the discretion of the Imperials, and assistance will be assigned from the medical officials with experience in this area.

Civil or Common Ordinances:

1. Exceeding speed of 10 miles per hour in city limits.

2. Flinging custard tarts (or equivalent) onto cobblestones.

3. Selling without a merchant's permit.

4. ... (The writing fades into many more ordinances here...)