Cód Dlí (Legal Code): Suranth
'Decades of debate, deliberation, and many incarnations have led to this document. Suranth's legal code.'
Purpose
This document is the legal code of the nation of Suranth, both civil and criminal, a long, well written document that a number of copies are kept accessible for everyone to read in the records of every courthouse in every town, though these public access copies are kept to a parsed down length of about a hundred pages, covering basic points, and insuring to cover all the various laws in shorthand. Logical, well written, and easily readable to almost anyone, it is written with a typical dwarven style. Not to much complex or flowery language. It covers the laws, punishments, and all ethics and rules of trials and how the judicial process is to operate.
The full document however, which is also kept in courthouses and law offices across the land, but only accessible to those within legal professions, is split into six volumes. Three civil and three criminal, each around a thousand pages in length. This of course is the version lawyers, judges and other such legal professionals use. Law schools keep copies in their libraries of course. Law offices, court libraries keep two to four copies on hand, though one cannot take them out of the buildings, generally. Judges often keep a complete copy in their personal bookshelves in their chambers in the courthouses as well.
The full document however, which is also kept in courthouses and law offices across the land, but only accessible to those within legal professions, is split into six volumes. Three civil and three criminal, each around a thousand pages in length. This of course is the version lawyers, judges and other such legal professionals use. Law schools keep copies in their libraries of course. Law offices, court libraries keep two to four copies on hand, though one cannot take them out of the buildings, generally. Judges often keep a complete copy in their personal bookshelves in their chambers in the courthouses as well.
Document Structure
Clauses
This document is divided into the following categories: Capital offenses, Civil Code, Criminal Code, Economic Code, Immigration Code, Property Laws
Capital Offenses: This section details the various offenses that are considered Capital Offenses, including those that would result in Capital punishment, which one should not confuse as being the same. What is listed here is the various offenses that immediately will bring your charges before a Provincial Court, and then the subset of limited offenses that will immediately bring your case before the Suranthi High Court, which is pretty much limited to military or government personal. The various crimes, their reasonable punishments and where they should be tried, in which Ring of the Suranthi court system are also covered here. This section is where the 'big ticket' legal charges and crimes are housed. Murder with intent, Treason, Conspiracy to commit Treason, Rape, Rape of a Child (there are separate charges, this being the one that involves torture before they kill you), and Piracy.
Civic Code: One of the largest of the first three sections, taking up nearly a full volume itself, this chapter covers the many intricate laws and rules involving Guild and Employer interactions, wage law, product quality and safety law, Tort and Negligence laws, Business ethic law/upkeep law (for owned facilities) and the guidance of how and when regular inspections of facilities can and will occur. It outlines numerous addendums and additions along with required further detailed explanations, referencing various legal decisions throughout Suranth's history that inspired them. This section and the Civil Code Volumes in general are the ones that have had to go through the most reprints, generally requiring full reprints every twenty to twenty-five years. Between these reprints, one can only refer to records that are kept as well up to date as can be hoped, though that varies depending where you are. Some backwater small town courts are months behind on their records for such civil law, as news does not travel wildly fast once off the rails and away from river or coastline.
Criminal Code: Here this section covers all the other criminal matters, the petty and middle of the road charges, from minor theft or disturbance of the peace all the way up to manslaughter or 'crime of passion' murders. The kind where there was no planning, just desperate action. It is here that tax fraud, and most organized crime falls unless the amounts of coin or sheer amounts of different charges reaches a frankly staggering number. It is also here where various regulations and laws to do with all the various...indulgent substances exist. Ale quality laws, laws about how to age wine and how to count the time aged, same with harder alcohols.
Economic Code: This section outlines all of Suranth's tax codes, its various business and guild regulations and legal requirements and registration of such groups. It is here as well that the laws and rules of interest on taxes, break down of fines and fees and the interest rates that can be applied, along with late fees. It is also here many of the laws in regards to operating businesses, many of which are briefly mentioned in the Civic Code, are expanded here in this section, and explained in proper detail, with references to precedent setting decisions.
Immigration Code: This section outlines the various rules and regulations for handling immigration, all the different paths and and rules in regards to immigration. Suranth is welcoming enough of a country, but they have a variety of rule sets and programs in place in regards to how much or little help someone recieves in getting set up. The harsh environment has lent itself to the idea that no one whom wasn't born and raised here can make it on their own. At a minimum the Suranthi government will aid you in getting settled, getting you set up with a flat, if nothing else. There is no hard limit on immigration, but their also doesn't need to be. The harsh climate kind of naturally does that for the Suranthi government. The main clauses here are in regards to the different procedures for those claiming to be refugees, versus those whom are not. That and of course the due dilligence after the fact, or at the time, in regards to making the diplomatic inquiries and checking those channels in regards to whether or not there is any active warrants or criminal history.
Property Laws: This section outlines a variety of laws in regards to property, property taxes, the buying and selling of land, permits for new structures, be they businesses, houses, or factories/warehouses/workshops. This section also dictates the various rules and regulations, the laws, that dictate all the various rules upon rentors and landlords, including legal requirements for a dwelling space, how it effects tax rates, and all the rest of it. It also includes, in a move of impressive foresight, some market control, keeping price increases for rent to once a year, and capping how much it can be increased year to year to a max of two percent.
Capital Offenses: This section details the various offenses that are considered Capital Offenses, including those that would result in Capital punishment, which one should not confuse as being the same. What is listed here is the various offenses that immediately will bring your charges before a Provincial Court, and then the subset of limited offenses that will immediately bring your case before the Suranthi High Court, which is pretty much limited to military or government personal. The various crimes, their reasonable punishments and where they should be tried, in which Ring of the Suranthi court system are also covered here. This section is where the 'big ticket' legal charges and crimes are housed. Murder with intent, Treason, Conspiracy to commit Treason, Rape, Rape of a Child (there are separate charges, this being the one that involves torture before they kill you), and Piracy.
Civic Code: One of the largest of the first three sections, taking up nearly a full volume itself, this chapter covers the many intricate laws and rules involving Guild and Employer interactions, wage law, product quality and safety law, Tort and Negligence laws, Business ethic law/upkeep law (for owned facilities) and the guidance of how and when regular inspections of facilities can and will occur. It outlines numerous addendums and additions along with required further detailed explanations, referencing various legal decisions throughout Suranth's history that inspired them. This section and the Civil Code Volumes in general are the ones that have had to go through the most reprints, generally requiring full reprints every twenty to twenty-five years. Between these reprints, one can only refer to records that are kept as well up to date as can be hoped, though that varies depending where you are. Some backwater small town courts are months behind on their records for such civil law, as news does not travel wildly fast once off the rails and away from river or coastline.
Criminal Code: Here this section covers all the other criminal matters, the petty and middle of the road charges, from minor theft or disturbance of the peace all the way up to manslaughter or 'crime of passion' murders. The kind where there was no planning, just desperate action. It is here that tax fraud, and most organized crime falls unless the amounts of coin or sheer amounts of different charges reaches a frankly staggering number. It is also here where various regulations and laws to do with all the various...indulgent substances exist. Ale quality laws, laws about how to age wine and how to count the time aged, same with harder alcohols.
Economic Code: This section outlines all of Suranth's tax codes, its various business and guild regulations and legal requirements and registration of such groups. It is here as well that the laws and rules of interest on taxes, break down of fines and fees and the interest rates that can be applied, along with late fees. It is also here many of the laws in regards to operating businesses, many of which are briefly mentioned in the Civic Code, are expanded here in this section, and explained in proper detail, with references to precedent setting decisions.
Immigration Code: This section outlines the various rules and regulations for handling immigration, all the different paths and and rules in regards to immigration. Suranth is welcoming enough of a country, but they have a variety of rule sets and programs in place in regards to how much or little help someone recieves in getting set up. The harsh environment has lent itself to the idea that no one whom wasn't born and raised here can make it on their own. At a minimum the Suranthi government will aid you in getting settled, getting you set up with a flat, if nothing else. There is no hard limit on immigration, but their also doesn't need to be. The harsh climate kind of naturally does that for the Suranthi government. The main clauses here are in regards to the different procedures for those claiming to be refugees, versus those whom are not. That and of course the due dilligence after the fact, or at the time, in regards to making the diplomatic inquiries and checking those channels in regards to whether or not there is any active warrants or criminal history.
Property Laws: This section outlines a variety of laws in regards to property, property taxes, the buying and selling of land, permits for new structures, be they businesses, houses, or factories/warehouses/workshops. This section also dictates the various rules and regulations, the laws, that dictate all the various rules upon rentors and landlords, including legal requirements for a dwelling space, how it effects tax rates, and all the rest of it. It also includes, in a move of impressive foresight, some market control, keeping price increases for rent to once a year, and capping how much it can be increased year to year to a max of two percent.
Publication Status
Readily available, though as it is large, generally its available in sections to check on request in any church or town hall.
Legal status
It is the legal code
Historical Details
Background
This code took many many decades to refine to the point where it is now, and its always open to change, and growth from the councils held twice a year in Ironcliffe.
History
This document was historic for a number of reasons, but one of the main reasons was the interesting codifying of the governmental concept. Suranth has a King, this is true, yet he has no heirs. He has children, two of them, but he has no heirs. The reason being, this monarchy is elective! Once the king or queen passes on, their is a massive five year long campaign, during which the Njordkra; or Liege's elected council as it is known in common, runs the nation. This election campaign will result in a new king or queen being elected for life. Its a strange and foreign concept to all who ever hear about it, yet the people of Suranth find this arrangement most agreeable.
Public Reaction
Like any legal code, you can never please everyone. depending who you ask, there are always possible nitpicks. But overall, the public has, and continues to be quite pleased with this document.
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