Amarithian Law

1. Legal Procedures

Trials in the Kingdom of Amarith are presided over by a member of the royal family, or a representative of the royal family, such as a lord, or a judge appointed by a lord. There are no juries. When someone is charged with a crime, they must have access to a lawyer. If they do not have access to a lawyer, one is appointed to them by the presider. The accused may dismiss this lawyer if they wish. Prosecutors are employed by the city’s garrison, which is also the police force. Trials are typically held in the lord's residence, or the town square. There are usually guards posted around the area. The number of guards can range from 2-3 to as many as fifty depending on the location, magnitude of the charges, and public interest in the trial.
When a trial is held, the accused, the accuser, and their lawyers appear before the presider. The lawyers present their arguments, evidence, and witnesses to the presider in a civilized manner, and afterwards the presider decides whether the accused is innocent or guilty, and their sentence if found guilty. If a witness repeatedly acts in an uncivilized or disruptive manner, they are removed and their testimony is disregarded. if the accused or accuser acts in such a manner, it is not uncommon for the presider to simply declare them to be in the wrong.
There is no punishment for an accuser failing to prove that the accused is guilty, however, if it is proven that the accuser lied, they face the sentence for the crime that they accused someone of committing.
Slaves accused of a crime only go to trial if they are accused of an especially severe crime (e.g. murder, fatal poisoning, etc.). Otherwise, judgement and punishment are left up to the slave's owner.

2. Slavery

Slavery in the Kingdom of Amarith is, under certain circumstances, legal. Every person in Amarith is considered property. Most people belong to themselves throughout their entire lives. However, some people end up being owned by someone else. There are a few different reasons that this might happen:

• A person can voluntarily decide to sell themselves to another person, thereby becoming that person’s property indefinitely, for a set period of time, or until they buy themselves back, as stipulated in their contract. There are no legal restrictions on the content of these contracts.
• A person can be made a slave as punishment for a crime. (e.g. theft, battery, vandalism) This can be temporary or indefinite, depending on the crime.
• Prisoners of war are often enslaved. Some individuals are occasionally chosen to serve the royal family, and large groups of prisoners will often be distributed to the citizens most negatively impacted by the war, usually prioritizing poorer citizens first. They will not be given to those who do not want them, or who cannot keep them alive.

It is possible for a slave to own another slave. In these situations, the slave must follow the orders of their owner and their owner's owner. In the event of conflicting orders, their owner's owner has higher authority.
A slave can be physically disciplined if necessary. If the slave vandalizes or steals property, or commits assault, beating is acceptable and legal, provided it leaves no lasting or permanent injury. If the slave commits battery, or light to moderate poisoning, injury equivalent to or less than the injuries sustained by the victim can legally be given to the slave. If a slave commits an especially severe crime such as murder or fatal poisoning, they are punished by the royal family or a representative of the royal family. If a slave in one of these cases is executed, the owner is compensated with money, or a replacement.
Abuse of slaves is strongly frowned upon in Amarith, and is illegal. Examples of abuse are:

• Failing to properly provide for a slave.
• Overworking a slave.
• Beating a slave for no reason, or more severely than is allowed for the reason you have.
• Preventing a slave who was a prisoner of war from communicating with their family.
• Breaking the terms of a voluntary slave contract.
• Knowingly and willingly allowing someone else to abuse a slave that you own.

Some or all abuse protections can be waived in a voluntary contract.
A slave abused by their owner will, if voluntarily sold, be given ownership of themselves. If an abused slave became a slave as a sentence for a crime, or was a prisoner of war, the royal family will take ownership of the slave. A slave owner that is found guilty of abuse too many times will no longer be able to own slaves. If the abuser is not the owner, the punishment is a heavy fine, or in more extreme cases, imprisonment. Abusing a slave that belongs to somebody else is considered vandalism, in addition to abuse.
Voluntary slaves and prisoners of war are typically regarded as respectable people in Amarith, and are rarely looked down upon. Criminals are typically treated with disdain.
A slave owner is under no obligation to offer to sell a slave to anyone, be it a third party, the Kingdom, or the slave themselves, unless otherwise stipulated in a voluntary contract.

3. Speech and Criticism of Government

During the reign of some monarchs, Esclamonde being the most notable, public criticism of the government has been very dangerous in Amarith, sometimes to the point that even the monarch’s council of advisors was afraid to step too far out of line. However, there was never an official law preventing people from speaking their minds, only the fear of the monarch. The current monarch, Selova, does not punish people for criticizing her rulership.

4. Theft

"Those who see fit to illegitimately lay claim to the property of others, shall themselves become others’ property." - Queen Selova Amarith

In Amarith, the punishment for theft is to become the slave of whoever you stole from. The severity of the crime does not matter, nor does the motive. In the event that there are multiple victims of theft, one of three things shall occur.

• The slave will be the shared property of some or all of the victims.
• The slave will be given to a single one of the victims, usually the one who lost the most.
• The slave will be given to a single one of the victims, usually the one who lost the most, but will need to be given time for a profitable occupation, from which all profits go directly to the other victims until they have received money equal to the value of the stolen items, or if the victim wishes, a lesser amount.

Which of these things happens is decided by the preference of the victims, or in the case of disagreement, the decision of the judge.
This harsh punishment for theft was enacted in an attempt to scare people away from joining the Thieves’ Guild that had moved in to Amarith a few years prior, and was steadily growing despite a number of attempts to remove them. This measure was extremely successful in curtailing petty theft, as well as burglaries of middle class merchants, since most people think the potential gain isn't worth the risk, but some thieves who mainly target nobility are still active.
There is no specific law against kidnapping in Amarith, such cases are legally considered theft. Theft of a person is typically socially considered worse than theft of an object, but the legal punishment is the same.

5. Violent Crime

Assault is defined as an attack on a person that does not leave lasting physical damage (e.g. a slap, weak punch, groping, dousing with a harmless liquid, etc.). Assault is typically punished by a fine.
Battery is defined as an attack on a person that does leave lasting physical damage (e.g. a strong punch, stabbing, cutting, dousing with a dangerous liquid, etc.). Battery is usually punished by a fine or imprisonment, depending on severity.
Murder is defined as unlawfully killing or intentionally causing the death of a person. Lawful killings would be self defense, defense of property, defending another person or their property, war, and hunting outlaws. Murder is usually punished by execution, typically a hanging or beheading, though more unusual executions are not entirely unheard of.
Rape is defined as having oral, anal, or vaginal sexual intercourse with someone that did not consent. Consent while impaired (e.g. drunk or otherwise intoxicated) is considered legitimate consent, unless the individual was poisoned. Rape is typically punished by long periods of imprisonment, and if a rapist causes a pregnancy in their victim, or gets pregnant, they have no right to custody of the child, and they must work to financially support the child, even after their prison sentence ends. This money is the legal property of the child, not the parent.
Poisoning is defined as knowingly causing someone to ingest, absorb, inhale, or otherwise take in a substance that is harmful or impairing (e.g. hallucinogens, toxins, venoms, contagions, etc.) without their knowledge and/or consent. Poisoning can be punished with anything from a fine to execution, depending on severity. Executions in poisoning cases are traditionally carried out with the poison used in the crime, but this isn't a legal requirement.
Because people who are not owned by someone else are still considered their own property, these crimes also technically count as vandalism.

6. Prohibitions

There are currently no restrictions on civilian weapon ownership in Amarith.
Most alchemical products like potions, drugs, and basic poisons are legal, but some of the more dangerous ones are restricted, mostly the ones that are major dangers to public safety, such as virulent poisons, or gases that don’t disperse easily.