Ministry of Justice
The Imperial Ministry of Justice exercises authority over violations of Imperial law, especially when those violations occur on Imperial territory, including within the extrality boundary of starports.
- Judges, justices, and the other personnel of the Imperial justice system are part of the Ministry of Justice. Most higher staff but not all staff are nobles.
- Because the Third Imperium is such a distributed power ("feudal confederation"), few laws have ultimate authority throughout the Third Imperium. Apart from the use of force, taxation, trade, and interstellar relations on a macro level, the Emperor delegates most lesser details of life to local nobles, bureaucrats, and planetary governors.
- It is part of the Imperial Bureaucracy of the Third Imperium.
Description (Specifications)
The Ministry of Justice is the managerial authority over many transgressions and violations of Imperial Law. So long as the event takes place within Imperial territory, which includes ambassadorial excursions and Imperial vessels abroad, the Ministry is the ultimate power behind what is to happen to the criminal(s) in question[1].
- Imperial Courts of Justice: The Imperium has a network of Imperial Courts of Justice[2] that deal with the main branches of the Imperial Law: Criminal; Civil; Admiralty and Military
- Criminal Law: Imperial Criminal Courts deal with crimes. Depending upon the crime, criminal courts may impose fines, imprisonment, banishment, or the death penalty. In important cases, or cases where capital punishment is an option, a tribunal of Imperial Judges is convened to determine the sentence.
- Civil Law: Imperial Judges in the Imperial Civil Courts System adjudicate on disputes between plaintiffs in the interpretation of circumstances in trade, ownership, etc.
- Admiralty Law: Imperial Admiralty Courts adjudicate cases involving interstellar trade and shipping – including piracy, barratry (wrongful conduct of crew that results in monetary losses), and hijacking – using an inquisitorial process similar to that used by the Imperial Criminal Courts. The procedures are also similar: court-appointed investigators and the advocates of the accused present the facts of the case to a panel of one or more Imperial Judges.
- Military Law: The Ministry of Justice does not have jurisdiction over Imperial Military Courts. Crimes under Imperial Code of Military Justice including War Crimes are tried by Imperial Military Courts under the Ministry of Defense.
- Imperial Penal System: The Ministry of Justice also maintains the Imperial Prison system[3] to house convicted criminals. The subsector dukes oversee the prisons and exile camps.
- Inquisitorial Branch: Lastly, the Ministry of Justice appoints special agents (see Imperial Sanction) to travel throughout the Imperium to investigate specific cases, and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice. Most of these agents act with the direct authority of the Minister, and a few have limited Imperial Warrants (Issued under Edict 97[4]), making them personal representatives of the Emperor.
- Imperial Bar Association: The Ministry of Justice is the administrator of the Imperial Bar Association. This association holds a monopoly on representation of clients in Imperial Criminal, Civil and Admiralty courts, and on non-military representation of clients in Imperial Military Courts.
- Justice Special Branch (JSB)[5]: This has three sections:
- Investigative Office: (Apprehension of persons in the MoJ who violate Imperial Law)
- Intelligence Office
- Security Office
The head of the Administration of the Imperial legal system, though the Ministry of Justice, is the Minister of Justice.
The most senior judge in the Imperium is the Emperor.
Imperial Jurisdiction
So long as the event takes place within Imperial territory, which includes ambassadorial excursions and Imperial vessels abroad, Imperial Jurisdiction applies.
Taxation & Trade
The regulation of Trade is the purview of the Ministry of Commerce[6]. Where there are commercial disputes in Interstellar trade, these will be adjudicated in the Imperial Civil Courts. Where there are breaches of Imperial Law relating to Interstellar trade this is adjudged in the Imperial Criminal Courts.
Use of Force
No information yet available.
Interstellar Civil Rights
No information yet available.
Sophontic Code (Rights)
Basic rights are given to all sophonts in Imperial space, whether or not they are Imperial citizens. Most famous is the Imperium-wide ban on slavery.
Clonal Code (Rights)
No information yet available.
Code of Robota
In Imperial Law, Robots are not sentient, are machines and have no rights.
Treatise on Exotic Life
No information yet available.
History & Background (Dossier)
The Imperium maintains the following court systems[7]: -
- Imperial Criminal Courts
- Includes the Imperial High Court
- Imperial Civil Courts
- Imperial Admiralty Courts
- Imperial Military Courts
With the Exception of the Imperial High Court, where the presiding judge is always the Emperor, High nobles, acting as an Imperial Judge, operate the Imperial Courts. This duty may require acting as a single judge for some important cases, but usually consists of monitoring the actions of lesser Judges and reviewing their decisions.
- The criminal court is inquisitorial.
- Judges are selected by the subsector Dukes and are always Nobles[8], but not always peers. Judges need not be trained in law, they may retain a court legate to advise them in facts of law for a particular case. Important cases require a tribunal of three Imperial Judges[9]. The judgement of the court is final and there are no Imperial Appeals Courts.
Interstellar Relations & Ministry of Justice
No information yet available.
Quarantine Branch & Ministry of Justice
No information yet available.
Institutional Timeline
No information yet available.
See also
Third Imperium
- Government
- Imperial Leadership
- Imperial Law
- Imperial Symbols
- Demographics
References & Contributors (Sources)
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- Jim Cunningham. High Passage 2 (FASA, 1981), TBD.
- Mike Jackson. Third Imperium 02 (Galaxy Games, 1986), 14-17.
- Steve Daniels, Jim McLean, Christopher Thrash. Far Trader (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), TBD.
- David L. Pulver. Planetary Survey 6: Darkmoon (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), TBD.
- Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 67-70.
- Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science
- ↑ Bryan Steele. Agent (Mongoose Publishing, 2009), 28.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 67-68.
- ↑ Bryan Steele. Agent (Mongoose Publishing, 2009), 28.
- ↑ Bryan Steele. Agent (Mongoose Publishing, 2009), 29.
- ↑ Jim Cunningham. High Passage 1 (FASA, 1981), 32-39.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 65.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 67.
- ↑ Loren Wiseman. Nobles (Steve Jackson Games, 2004), 67.
- ↑ Bryan Steele. Agent (Mongoose Publishing, 2009), 28.