Noble's Courthouse

"Lord Tyrius of Einvium, you have been served with notice that, subject to Imperial Law, you are accused of withholding tithes from the Imperial Tax Bureau, and furthermore, have attempted to conceal the profits of your holding's industry to deceive the Tax Bureau in the amount owed. You are expected to present yourself for judgement at the Noble's Courthouse in Belyos in no less than three weeks."

For the most part, the upper nobility of The Empire of Belyos are free from the restrictions of the law that the lower classes must adhere to. Til-Yaltur's reforms of the social structure within the Empire removed a lot of the flagrant violations of common law by nobility by setting up methods by which the common folk could extract compensation for hurt inflicted on them. Immunity from prosecution in a 'normal' court was still a perk of the upper class, however.
Whilst not being beholden to common law, nobility, and in particular the Elector Lords, must adhere to Imperial Law. These Laws govern things like the prompt payment of taxes, obligations to Imperial institutions like the Imperial Post and Highways, and what a house is obligated to provide when the Imperial Family decide to visit. Violations of this Law are dealt with in a specialised building within Belyos; the Noble's Courthouse.

---

Purpose / Function

Members of the nobility, and especially those of Elector Lords are above the petty concerns of common law, but the Noble's Courthouse is a different matter. Here they are tried, often in their absence, for violations of the complex Imperial Laws, which mostly relate to financial and military matters.

---

History

A building relating to the adherence to Imperial law was first constructed on the site in the rule of Emperor Meais in 114 IY, but was rarely used. It had the typical architecture of the time; a domed roof with tall walls and windows, and was staffed by Imperial-appointed judges.
Prosecutions at the time could be brought by any member of a noble house against another noble, but bribery and threats towards the judges was common, and conviction rates so low that the practice was largely abandoned. The building slowly turned into just another Imperial holding, letting out most of its rooms to commercial interests over time.
It was sacked, like a lot of Belyos, during the Sakamohr invasion, and left as an empty shell for many decades before the Great Fire which occurred towards the end of Sakamohr rule saw its collapse. It was rebuilt by Til-Yaltur in the style of the new Empire, with columns and smaller windows, although it was not as grand as some of the temples around it; a nod to Til-Yaltur's philosophy that the nobility did not deserve to be treated much different to the common folk.
In the new Empire, prosecutions of violators of Imperial Law is common, and conviction rates are quite good, but as the punishments are largely financial in nature, most nobles take the fine with good grace and often, but not always, refrain from repeat behaviour.

---

The Noble's Court in Belyos

Founding Date

1721 IY

Type

Courthouse

Parent Location

Belyos

Owning Organization

The Empire of Belyos