Chesterfield Decree of Rigths

The Chesterflied Decree of Rights was issued by King Robrec of Chesterfield, the King of the Longoine Kingdom in response to the brutal punishment that the then Duchess Cassida of Luria enacted on her nobles.
It sought to guarantee the rights of the lesser nobility and ensure that none of the King's vassals can accumulate too much power.
The Decree was rejected by the Duchess and directly led to the outbreak of the Longoine-Laurian War and the eventual fall of the Longoine Kingdom.
== The Chesterfield Decree of Rights ==
=== Preamble ===
The Longoine Court believes that our Kingdom is a proud one, steeped in tradition and honour. We respect the laws, traditions, and norms of our ancestors and our Emperors. In recent years, however, a new generation of nobles have succeeded their fathers and mothers before they were ready. These inexperienced youths do not know how things are to be.
Most recently, Duchess Cassida of Luria has demonstrated an utter lack of understanding and tact. Her grievous actions have been tolerated in the assumption that in due time she too will learn. Sadly, our faith is yet to be rewarded. She forwent the duties of her court, replaced noble knights with her low-born officers and spends her time playing war, marching her soldiers around like a child playing with toys.
In the realisation that these youths require guidance and that all nobles regardless of stature deserve dignified treatment and protection, I King Robrec of Chesterfield, with support of my court and advisors, do hereby decree the following rights and protections for all nobles. It is our solemn duty to see the Decree followed and to ensure the stability of the realm.
=== Article I: Rights of the Lesser Nobility ===
For the purposes of this Article, the lesser nobility are all those noble born, their descendants and spouses which serve below another noble. All nobles are the lesser nobility of the King.
* Right to Property and Title
*# For no reason shall the titles, properties, subjects, family, prosperity, or security of a noble be threatened, seized, damaged, killed or destroyed without express permission from the King and his court.
*# The rightful transfer of property through duels of honour, where both parties freely agreed to the contest, is exempt from this restriction. 
*# If this right is violated, the superior noble is obligated to return restitution and ensure the lesser noble's honour and prosperity is restored, even if this requires further expense than what was seized. This restitution is to be paid for all violations, current, past, or future.
* Right to Honourable Treatment
*# No nobles, nor their families, shall be imprisoned for any reason, unless given express permission from the King and his court.
*# In the case of imprisonment, all nobles have a right to suitable lodging, ample food and entertainment.
*# All nobles have the right to serve in the armies of their superior nobles and shall be given command of no less than 50 men at arms.
*# All nobles have the right to appear in and work in the court of their superior noble.
*# No noble shall be stopped from issuing or accepting a duel of honour. However, a noble may only issue a challenge to a superior noble with the permission of that noble or their superior.
*# If any part of this right is violated, the superior noble is obligated to pay restitution and ensure the lesser noble's honour and prosperity is restored. This restitution is to be paid for all violations, current, past, or future.
* Right to Association
*# With the exception of nobles of rank Duke, Duchess, an equivalent rank or higher, nobles may freely enter pacts, alliances, marriages, agreements, and so forth with each other. Titles and Land may only be traded with the express permission from the King and his court. A lesser noble may not for any reason give their lands and titles to their superior noble.
*# If any part of this right is violated, the superior noble is obligated to pay restitution and ensure the lesser noble's honour and prosperity is restored. This restitution is to be paid for all violations, current, past, or future.
=== Article II: Rights of the High Nobility ===
For the purposes of this Article, the high nobility are all those noble born who hold titles of Duke, Duchess, an equivalent rank or higher
* Right to Court
*# All high nobles have the right to appear in the King's court.
*# All high nobles have the right to petition the King or his court.
*# All high nobles have the right to be housed, fed and protected by the King while in his court.
*# All high nobles have the right to become the King's advisor if another noble of lesser statue currently holds the position.
*# If the King violates any part of this right, they may protest to the court. If a majority of the court concedes that a violation has taken place, the King, and the court, will jointly investigate and determine if any restitution is owed and what shape it shall take.
=== Article III: Rights of the King ===
* Right to Arms
*# The King has the right to request aid from all his nobles.
*# The King has the right to replace any officer, general, soldier, noble-in-command or any other person in a command position with someone of his choice.
*# No noble may raise their armies in peacetime, unless given express permission by the King and his court.
*# No noble may train any army in peacetime, unless given express permission by the King and his court.
*# No noble may actively maintain more men-at-arms than their superior noble.
*# If any nobles violated any part of this right, they are to be automatically assumed convicted and must appear before the King's court to argue their case and receive punishment. Failure to do so within a year or failure to respond to the King's summon will automatically mark the noble as an outlaw, without protection from the law.
* Right to Intervention
*# The King has the right to enter any noble's court.
*# The King has the right to lead any noble's court he finds himself in.
*# The King, with the consent of the nobles court, may undo an act of the noble, force them to pay restitution or impose limitations and sanctions upon their behaviour.
*# The King has the right to summon a noble and their court to him.
*# If any nobles violated any part of this right, they are to be automatically assumed convicted and must appear before the King's court to argue their case and receive punishment. Failure to do so within a year or failure to respond to the King's summon will automatically mark the noble as an outlaw, without protection from the law.
* Right to Intervention
*# The King may at any point punish a noble who broke any part of these articles with their associated punishments.
*# The King, and his court, may convict a noble of any wrongdoing, even if that wrongdoing was legal but otherwise abhorrent and foul.
*# The King, and his court, may impose any punishment on a convicted noble, even if it violates their rights as outlined in this document.
*# The King, and his court, may, as a final and ultimate punishment, withdraw the status of nobility from a convicted noble. 
*## If their spouse is of low birth, they and all their descendants will also cease to be nobles, unless the King and court rule for an exception in their favour.
*## If their spouse is a noble in their own right, their marriage is deemed null and the spouse and their descendants are to be fully separated from the convicted noble.
=== Sanctions against Duchess Cassida of Luria ===
The court has heard the many complaints from the nobility. Seizing land, titles and property, imprisoning her vassals, murder, blackmail, raising and training armies, the charges against the Duchess are countless, and she has violated every single right enumerated in this document. The King and his court issues the following sanctions on the Duchess:
# The Duchess on all crimes listed and unlisted is convicted by King and court as guilty.
# The Duchess for a period of five years is stripped of the presumed rights listed in this document. On request, the King may allow for exception on a case by case basis.
# The Duchess is to disband her armies.
# The Duchess is to surrender all commanders and officers to the King's custody.
# The Duchess is to return all lands, properties, and titles to their righteous owners.
## If their owners are dead, the Duchess is to return them to their heirs.
## If no heir is alive, the titles, lands, and properties are to be surrendered to the King.
# The Duchess must pay all nobles whose rights were violated in restitution, including the transfer of her own lands and titles, if her treasury is unable to produce the restitution.
# For a period of five years, the Duchess must accept all challenges to duels issued by any nobles whose right she violated.
# After a period of five years and once all restitution is paid, Cassida of Luria shall be welcome back into the fold with all her rights and priviliges restored.
# Failure to comply with any of these articles, or violating the rights of her nobles again within these five years, will automatically strip her of her titles and mark her as an outlaw.
Signed and Sealed
King Robrec of Chesterfield