Never mistake law for justice. Justice is an idea, and Law is a tool.
~ L.E. Modesitt Jr
Laws of the People
Laws of the people exist for the Citizens of the Hadrian Empire. These protections are given to citizens, and certain rules that citizens must obey in return form the basis of a system of mutual protection for the good of all people and the Empire.
Legal Protections
All Lawful Citizens of the Hadrian Empire will find protection and safety within Hadrian Lands.
All Citizens of the Hadrian Empire shall be held to the letters of the law accordingly and shall not be subject to abuse or oppression in the name of order. They will be subject to the legal authority of the Representatives of the Law. All punishments must therefore be executed in court.
All Lawful Citizens of the Hadrian Empire will find that their rights extend to other lands. A citizen’s rights cannot be taken away by any worldly power, and the Empire will ensure these rights abroad.
Freedoms of the Citizens
All Lawful Citizens of the Hadrian Empire will find their Freedoms to be protected, including:
The Right to Own Property
The Right to Commerce
The Right to own, and deal in, Weapons and Armaments.
The Right to own Weapons does not give citizens the right to form ‘mobs’ or practice vigilante justice.
The Right to Equality
The Right to Practice the Arcane
Must follow all Arcane Law.
The Right to Free Speech
Must not violate other Laws.
Promises to the Empire
All Citizens of the Hadrian Empire uphold a responsibility to the Empire to be lawful citizens. They must not:
Blaspheme
Slander the name of the Maker
Worship of Voidal Entities
Commit Treasonous Acts, which include:
Attempting to overthrow the Empire or levy war against the Empire
Incite rebellion through vassal states
Speak of or commit actions that would be against the Kaiser and his Government
Give aid or comfort to enemies of the Empire, which includes:
Declared Criminals of the Empire
Citizens or Officials of states at war with the Hadrian Empire or its allies
Terrorism
Espionage
The Empire’s Laws take precedence while in the Empire.
Dual citizens follow the Laws of the Hadrian Empire first
This applies to International Incidents.
Criminals can be tried twice if breaking laws in more than one nation.
If apprehended in Hadrian lands, the accused must be tried in Hadrian lands first
Laws of the Land
Laws of the Land exist for all Citizens and non-citizens within the Empire. Within this section, different branches of law exist. Within these branches of law, crimes and punishments are listed accordingly. The Laws apply to all equally and fairly-- it is the only way to bring justice to all people.
Civil Law
This is the branch of law that deals with Non-Criminal activity. Civil law includes disputes between one or more persons/parties/institutions. Most Civil Law is carried out by use of Lawsuits in personalized cases overseen by representatives.
Lawsuits: Any citizen has the right to request an audience with the Lord or Lady Justiciar if they feel another has wronged them in a way that does not fall under criminal law. The court or a selected jury will decide the solution. Both parties must be in court to defend and explain their cases. Typical solutions include:
Financial Compensation
Legal Ramifications (Moving to Criminal Law)
A Binding Agreement between both parties
Slander (defame the Crown, Citizens, Nobles, or Empire)
Family Law and Inheritance: Familial Rights
All children are those under the age of 16. A child’s well-being and responsibilities are managed by their parent or guardian.
A parent or guardian must send their children to school
Children and relatives are entitled to inheritance
Marriage and Noble Marriage
Children can inherit titles and land from their parents.
Two people cannot enter a marriage and gain claims on title or land; only their child will hold a claim.
Proposing to nobles must be done through normal cultural means, and a grand feat must be completed.
Adoption and Bastard Children
Adoption: the formal process by which an adult or family takes in a child and legally claims them as their own. This child will take on their family name and have all familial rights bestowed to them. Adoption papers must be filled out.
Legitimization: the formal process by which an adult or family recognizes a bastard child and claims them as their own. This child will take on their family name and have all familial rights bestowed to them. Legitimization papers must be filled out.
Inheritance
Inheritance deals with the passing of goods and properties after a person has passed away. Inheritance applies equally to both citizens and nobles. Inheritance laws shall always apply unless the deceased person left a will stating otherwise.
The estate goods (physical possessions, items, etc.) shall be split accordingly between spouses and children.
If the deceased person was unmarried or without children, the head of the family shall gain possession of these goods.
If the deceased person was the head of the family, the next eldest sibling shall gain possession of these goods.
If the deceased person had no family, spouses, or children, then the Empire will repossess their goods.
Titles and Land shall always go first to the eldest child of the deceased person.
If the eldest child is incapable of taking on such land and titles, these goods pass down the line of children.
If the deceased person had no children, then the title and land will fall first to the head of the family, and then to the eldest sibling of the deceased person.
Finally, if this is not possible, then the land and titles shall pass down to the next eldest sibling, and so forth.
If the deceased person had no family or children, the Empire will repossess these lands and titles and distribute them once more. Noble Titles and Lands shall never fall to the spouse of the original holder of such a title.
Criminal Law is the branch of law that occurs when persons/parties/institutions break the rules and laws organized by the Empire. These laws and their punishments are often carried out by the Azur Legion and the Nobles D’Empire. Some guidelines apply to how Criminal Law is handled:
Stacking Charges: All ‘Offenses’ must occur on separate occasions, and do not stack in the same event. See Failure of Compliance for criminals unwilling to conform to Imperial Laws.
Willful disobedience: Ignoring a direct order of a Guard member, or refusing to comply with a punishment of a charge given. Failure of Compliance only applies in the same event, and the charges stack.
First Offense: Addition of a Minor Fine
Second Offense: Addition of a Moderate Fine, Additional Jail Time. The Guard Member may use additional, non-lethal force in an ongoing arrest.
Third Offense: A guard member may begin an arrest and place the criminal in holding until an Officer can enforce the original sentence and the additional charges for Failure of Compliance.
Fines:
Minor Fine: 60 Andros
Moderate Fine: 80 Andros
Major Fine: 200 Andros
Three Strike Rule: Any Person who has accumulated 3 Felonies will be faced with banishment. This does not apply to misdemeanors.
Noble’s Clause: Any Crime committed against a Noble of the Empire shall be taken under consideration during criminal trials; and is an additional felony. When the Noble’s Clause is applied, Punishments are taken case by case.
Misdemeanors
Animal Laws:
Illegal Parking/abandonment of livestock or animals in the city: All illegally left animals must be removed from the city. Any unruly, unkempt, or unnecessarily large animal will fall under this category.
First Offense- Verbal Warning
Second Offense- Minor Fine
Third Offense- Moderate Fine
Mounts: All mounts require a permit. All legal mounts without permits will receive a minor fine for each separate offense and required removal of the animal from the city. If the animal is not removed, it falls under Law II.B Abuse: In instances where an animal, either wild or domestic, is found to be abused by an individual, the individual will be detained under the authority of law. Individuals who abuse animals are believed to exhibit unstable behavior with the potential to turn into further issues.
First Offense - 10 Lashings & Mandatory Church Attendance
Second Offense - 20 Lashings, 3 Days Jail
Third Offense - 40 Lashings, One Week Jail
Battery: Verified ‘fisticuffs’ outdoors are legal. Indoor Fisticuffs are illegal. Verified Fisticuffs always become illegal after one party has surrendered or fallen unconscious. Continuing to fight afterward follows under law II.G.2. Fighting without the use of a deadly weapon indoors or without prior agreement between both parties.
First Offense- Moderate Fine
Second Offense- 20 Lashings
Third Offense- 40 Lashings
Trespassing: Entering somebody’s property. This includes any property grounds, balconies, roofs, etc. Trespassing into Military installations or private lands of Nobility will always carry an extra punishment, as decided on a case-by-case basis.
First Offense- Moderate Fine
Second Offense- Moderate Fine, 10 Lashings
Third Offense- Jail
Public Indecency: Any act involving nudity or improper public behavior
First Offense- Jail for One Night
Second Offense- Jail and a Moderate Fine
Third Offense- Jail and a Major Fine
Mugging: Theft of a person's property from their person
First Offense- Jail and a Moderate Fine
Second Offense- Removal of ‘offending’ hand
Third Offense- Banishment
Felonies
Assault: Fighting with the use of a deadly weapon
First Offense- Jail
Second Offense- 40 Lashings
Third Offense- 60 Lashings & Branding
Damage to Property:
First Offense- Major fine, Jail time, and Criminals must pay for Damages
Second Offense- Major fine, Criminal must pay for damages and receives banishment
Kidnapping:
Kidnapee Rescued Unharmed: Major fine and banishment
Kidnapee rescued but harmed: Lashing, major fine, banishment
Kidnapee Dead/unrecovered: Execution, banishment
Burglary: Theft of property from one’s house or owned lands
First Offense- Major fine and Jail time
Second Offense - Removal of the dominant hand
Third Offense - Branding, 30 Lashings, and Banishment
Extortion: Using blackmail/leverage to harm another
Punishment is specific to the crime.
Capital Felonies
Murder:
In Self Defense: No Punishment
In Hot Blood: 30 Lashings & Minimum of 1 Year in Clergy
Premeditated: Execution or Banishment, the final punishment is to be declared by the Kaiser after deliberation with the Lord or Lady Justiciar.
Treason:
Executed: Approved methods are hanging, beheading, and the final burning of the body. Ashes are disposed of at an undisclosed location.
Return from Banishment:
One warning will be provided. If the criminal does not immediately comply with the guards while being escorted from the city, they will be executed immediately.
Religious laws exist to protect the Empire and its citizens from unholy creatures and their followers. Upholding Religious Law is essential to the Empire, and breaking Religious Laws comes with heavy consequences.
Religious Worship: The worship of the Maker is the only permitted worship within the Hadrian Empire.
Worship of false idols, as well the bastardization of Makerist worship, falls into the hands of the Inquisition. The Inquisition maintains a priority on the handling and punishment of crimes regarding Religious Law.
Heretical Worship: Faith that encompasses the worship of the Deceiver or other inherently wicked paths that strive to corrupt a Makerist’s core beliefs.
The handling and punishment of any heretical worship practices will fall under the jurisdiction of the Inquisition.
If an individual seeks repentance for their wicked ways, the Inquisition once more takes precedent in these cases to determine whether a heretic is able to be reformed. However, the Kaiser and his Council maintain the final say on whether this individual is welcome back into the Empire.
Foul Arts: The Practice of Voidal Magic
If found to be of, or in compliance with, Voidal Forces, the person shall be immediately banished from the Empire unless awaiting trial for the conduction of other crimes.
The Jespro Clause: All detained Voidal Spellcasters who are on trial for related or unrelated crimes are to be restrained and chained to the stand.
If suspected of capabilities in Voidal Spellcasting, they are to be frisked, disarmed, and restrained. When restrained, their dominant hand is to be bound behind their neck and their nondominant hand to be restrained against their lower back. This restraint is to remain while held in detainment.
Any Voidal Spellcasters who are executed are to be done so in the presence of the Lord or Lady Justiciar, the Inquisition, and the Kaiser. Upon execution, the head and body are to be separated, burned, and buried in separate locations.
Arcane Law
Arcane Law applies to all supernatural abilities. Arcane law exists to regulate those with dangerous abilities and protect those without.
Use of Abilities: Unpermitted use of any supernatural abilities will be punished. This includes:
Vigilante Law: Using supernatural abilities to circumvent law and order and to dole out punishment according to one's personal beliefs.
In Conjunction with other Laws: Using supernatural abilities as a tool for any additional civil, criminal, religious, or other law. Using supernatural abilities in conjunction with any other crime will impose further punishment:
First Offense- An additional moderate fine
Second Offense- An additional significant fine
Third Offense- Additional jail time
Using these abilities to sow discord, manipulate citizens, or cause grief, suffering, or bodily harm to a citizen is illegal.
First Offense- Jail, Minor Fine
Second Offense- Jail, Major Fine
Third Offense- Temporary Banishment dependent on the degree of harm.
Miscellaneous
Housing Laws
To reduce the risks of fire and the spread of diseases, each house is limited to a number of tenants.
Farmhouses, both standard and large, are limited to three tenants.
Townhouses are limited to a range of four to six tenants.
This number may be changed or enforced by the Lord or Lady Steward.
Estates are limited to a range of six to eight tenants.
This number may be changed or enforced by the Lord or Lady Steward.
The addition of expansions to pre-existing buildings, such as the building of basements, new extensions, or additional floors, require the approval of the Lord or Lady Steward and the Bank.
If the building’s size is changed beyond its original, its designation and tax-price will be adjusted to reflect this.
The acquisition of new or additional land is to be processed by the Bank and the Lord or Lady Steward.
The construction of new buildings on newly purchased or already owned lands must be approved by the bank. The size of this building will determine the tax price for it.
Farms with farmable land as given by the State must remain within these boundaries. If they are found to be outside the set boundaries, they will be subject to the Law of Land Grabbing and will be fined per the permissible fines from the Bank.
To acquire or resettle the boundary of the given land, the individual who owns the land must make arrangements with the Bank.
Dueling Laws
Anyone may challenge another to a Duel, but the opponent has the right to decline. Duels can be until yield, first blood, or to death.
Both parties must agree to the terms of the duel in the presence of a third party.
Deadly weapons and legal magic may be used in a duel if agreed upon explicitly by both parties.
Continuing a Duel After It Is Over: The offending party will be arrested
Murder in a non to-the-death duel: This will be counted as murder in hot blood, in accordance to II.L.B, with the additional sentence of banishment.
The duels must take place outside of the city limits, or within designated dueling zones, so that the peace is not disturbed.
Obscuring of Face and Character
A person’s face and form may not be concealed or made invisible within the city. Guards may ask a person with an obscured face or form to reveal themselves to ascertain they are not a threat.
These forms of concealments may be made permissible through notes acquired through the Adelsburg Medical Facility or the Office of the Justiciar.
Laws against Slavery
Slavery is strictly prohibited. The line between a servant and a slave is as follows; a servant must have a consenting legal document, and it must state that the servant adheres to the laws of the Empire; as promised. If it has been found that the servant’s consent was forcefully acquired or coerced, the document is hereby declared null and void.
Servants are consenting, fed, and housed with dignity and respect.
Servants are not to be physically harmed or verbally berated.
Anything that violates these terms is considered slavery.
If the Law determines that slavery is being conducted, all slaves are released from their masters and returned to society.
Those practicing slavery are trialed and, if found guilty, are to be jailed, fined, and committed to ten acts of community service.
Facilities that are found harboring slavery will be redistributed by the Empire’s local government.
Bounty Laws
When enacted, it must be investigated by Ranking Officials in the Empire to be ratified.
This will include: a reason why the bounty is posted, the terms, and the ability for the individual with a bounty placed to turn themselves in.
If the Court of Law declares that the Bounty is not lawful, it cannot be pursued in the Empire and will be held accountable to our aggression laws.
Once a Bounty is approved, ‘Bounty Hunters’ are allowed to go out and return the person(s) listed.
If there is a reward, such will be given immediately to those who bring in the person.
Any bounties not recognized under the Empire are to be considered premeditated murder.
Oath of Work
Any individuals who undertake or are appointed to official positions within the Alderian Council are to take an Oath of Work. The Oath is to ensure that appointed individuals are aware of the duties expected of them that they are required to preform. Failure to fulfill this Oath enables the Council to motion for termination and replacement. In cases when more then 66% of the Council agrees in this action, the individual is to be dismissed from their position.
