Magistrate (TCG)

A Magistrate was a person tasked with enforcing the Rokugani laws. The Emerald Magistrates were the enforcers of the Emperor's laws, and the Emerald Champion was the most senior magistrate. Her Father's Daughter, by D. G. Laderoute Provincial daimyō appointed these special investigators to enforce laws and maintain an orderly society within their borders, and were assisted by yoriki (lesser-ranking samurai) and budōka (armed peasant vassals) in tracking and apprehending criminals. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 9
== Clan Magistrates ==
Clan magistrates had their jurisdiction confined to the lands and holdings of their parent clan. They were more likely than Emerald Magistrates to become involved in local crimes and investigations that occurred within their jurisdiction, but generally only if local magistrates were not readily available or required assistance. Otherwise, many of the broad powers provided by the Charter of the Emerald Magistrates were available to clan magistrates, again within the limits of the lands and holdings of their clan. They often worked in conjunction with Emerald Magistrates operating in their clan's territory. Clan magistrates were appointed under the authority of provincial daimyō, and they were assigned to either patrol assigned territories and the holdings that lie within them or to oversee important towns or other landmarks. Such an appointment was considered prestigious and was generally granted to samurai who had exhibited noteworthy accomplishments. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 91 Clan magistrates generally patroled their jurisdictions on a regular basis, inspecting travelers' papers to ensure they were in proper order. They also oversaw the collection of taxes, including designated levies on the production of food and other commodities by commoners and tariffs on goods sold or traded by merchants. Several clans maintained specialized groups of clan magistrates, such as the Asako Inquisitors of the Phoenix, the Kuroiban ("Black Watch") of the Scorpion, and the Kuni Purifiers of the Crab. Each of these groups dealt primarily with illegal and blasphemous magics and incursions into the Empire by the Shadowlands. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 249
== Magisterial Auxiliaries ==
Magistrates were often accompanied by various "auxiliaries," subordinates who assisted them in conducting investigations and enforcing the law. These included: Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 92
* Yoriki: samurai who served as permanent assistants to magistrates.
* Dōshin: commonly heimin, deputies to yoriki.
* Hinin assistants: performed specific duties that were considered inappropriate for samurai, such as handling corpses and torturing suspects in order to obtain confessions.
* On occasion, magistrates might also temporarily draft samurai into service as yoriki, or even as formed bodies of troops. This was only done in consultation with local authorities, and to deal with a specific problem, such as a cult or criminal conspiracy, that posed a threat beyond the magistrate's capacity to handle alone.
== External Links ==
* Swift Magistrate (Tears of Amaterasu)
Category:Law and Government (TCG)