Laws of Konohagakure and fire country

**Laws of Konohagakure and Land of Fire**

***This is the most recent Law document and replaces all other law documents published pior, no other documents can be used in any further trials and legal cases after this document is published. This document will be updated regularly henceforth with alterations and improvements until it’s deemed fitting of being published as the final version of the Law. However, a full Law rework is expected to come out in the future and at that point, the new system will replace this document as well. The full revision log can be found at the end of this document.***

**Date of Publish:** October 26th 618

**Date of Latest Revision:** November 7th 618

Crimes are a dishonorable thing, but coming from a shinobi is a disgrace to their code, as they´re bound to serve the greater good of their nation and its citizens. Shinobi generally do not have a good reputation due to their line of work (Sabotage, spionage, assasination, etc), and shinobi that misbehave should earn the disgust and disapproval of the majority of their comrades as they´re staining their image further.

Shinobi have less opportunities and forgiveness when they commit a crime, and especially Shinobi that are members of the law enforcement. Lawmen that are confirmed to be corrupt will immediately carry a maximum criminal sentence.

**Any and all behaviours, actions or lack thereof aimed to break or circumvent existing laws are to be treated as crimes.**

# **Strict distinction between Civil and Military Law**

1. KPD deals with civilian matters (Civil law), whether performed by a shinobi or not. Examples include robbery, loitering, and public drunkenness. When a shinobi is not on a mission or otherwise performing shinobi duties, they are treated as a civilian even though it is important to note that a shinobi should have their headband with them at all times so that they can go on duty at any needed time in the case of an emergency.
2. Council deals with military matters (Military law), such as guarding a gate, actions performed while on a mission, defending the village and so forth.
3. If the line is blurry, the case is to be handled by the Council, as military law will take precedence over civil law. An example is a corrupt shinobi taking a cut to allow contraband into the village, a partnership he has with his civilian brother, who then sells the dodgy stuff in backstreets.
4. Military cases are handled by the Village Council or the MOJ, but any specifically Village Council selected high ranking members of the military may be assigned to assist on a specific case. In the event that a KPD officer does witness a military crime, but nobody else is there to deal with it, they can treat it as a KPD case, but it is to be reported to the Council ASAP, and is still under their jurisdiction from the beginning, with the KPD being seen as 'assisting' with the initial report. Failure to report the matter to the Council will be dealt with the full extent of the law.
5. If a crime that falls under KPD jurisdiction is witnessed by a military member, they are to report it to the KPD for the KPD to issue the appropriate fines or punishments. In the case of a severe crime committed, they must also restrain the criminal until the KPD arrives at the scene, in order to prevent further crimes from being committed in the meantime.
6. While Military Law is handled by the Council, it is lawful and within their authority to hand a case fully (or partially) to KPD. In this case the KPD must still in its entirety report all findings and progress of the case back to the Council. Failure to do so will be met with the harshest extent of the law.

**A few examples to help in understanding Civil v. Military law:**

* A shinobi is eating ramen at the restaurant and talking to his friends, when suddenly he decides to attack the waitress. This is civil law, because the shinobi was not currently on any shinobi duty.
* A shinobi is guarding a VIP that is visiting Konoha, however the VIP is an old rival of the shinobi's family and conned them of their wealth, he takes the opportunity to steal a gold trinket from the man and is spotted by his commander.  This is military law because the shinobi stole while on duty.
* A shinobi is walking the streets, when suddenly they find that a private home is being attacked by an unrecognized threat. Because of this, the shinobi immediately decides to attack and stop the threat. This could be considered civil, but at the same time it is each shinobi’s duty to defend his village. So this case could be treated as both Civil and Military, but because Military takes precedence it will be handled by the Council.
* When absolutely unsure, it is still fine for either a Military person or a KPD person to take action in stopping a crime being committed, but it should be treated as Military Law and handed to the Council to decide whether it will be handled by them or the KPD.

# **Law enforcement - Civil law**

Law enforcement is led by the Ministry of Justice, the MOJ is the maximum judicial authority in the Kingdom but below the King's authority, led by a minister. The only person with sovereign immunity is the Hokage (But limited to some cases, like unjustified executions or other tyrannic tendencies). Only the Daimyo can retract the Hokage’s sovereign immunity status.

ANBU are often immune to Law enforcement when they act. As the Hokage has a mandate from the Daimyo to run an Anbu Unit, and the very nature of the unit is to operate in the shadows, to pursue interests that cannot be conducted publicly for National Security it is an unwritten rule that the Anbu have almost complete sovereign immunity. Instead, they are accountable only to the Hokage themselves. However, in the past it has been known for the MOJ to instruct the KPD to directly handle any interference by anbu in MOJ/KPD cases, sometimes with lethal force. This caused high tensions amongst village leadership so there is a gentlemen's agreement in place to keep the two organisations out of each other's business. It is to be noted that the MOJ and KPD have never successfully charged an Anbu operative, with the Hokage almost always stepping in to use executive powers to remove the operative from the jurisdictions of the law, or the operative has passed before charges brought. The MOJ has agreed in the past to honour the identity of the anbu operatives - regardless of their crimes - in order to protect the wider unit and village.

## **Crimes categories and terminology:**

**Infraction:** An infraction is the lowest form law violation. These are violations that usually pose no harm to individuals, but cause disturbances, or inconvenience to the village and its citizens. Repeated offences may be escalated to a misdemeanor. An infraction fine offender will have a criminal record opened upon a final judgement. Due to the nature of these violations, no arrest may be attempted, instead, upon refusal of paying the fine (unless the reason for that is making legal steps to contest the fine; in this case the situation will be escalated to Council), the offender will be reported to the MOJ, and will be summoned to a hearing. (In cases of suspicion of abuse of handing out excessive fines, formal complaints can be submitted to the KPD, MOJ, or Council.). A repeat offence may be escalated to a state of a Misdemeanor. Some of these crimes may also be escalated to a Misdemeanor if a more extreme form of the crime is committed. The punishment for committing an infraction is a fine of 1-5 gold.

**Examples of this type of crime:**

* Littering,
* Loitering.
* Disturbance of peace (heated discussions, close to becoming violent, loud insults, misconduct, etc.).
* Anti social behaviour (drunkenness, improper dressing, etc.)
* Vandalism.
* Using mounts (summon mounts or horses) inside the city, which causes traffic obstructions [Law enforcement can use these while on duty].
* Engaging in hate speech (advocate, incite, promote or justify hatred, violence and discrimination against a person or group of persons ), promotion of anti-democracy views etc
* Attending illegal protests.

**Misdemeanor:** A misdemeanor is a more serious violation, usually punishable by anything under 1 Month (IRL) of imprisonment. These are crimes that may harm individuals, but are not as severe as threatening life. A repeat offence may be escalated to a state of Felony. Some of these crimes may also be escalated to a Felony if a more extreme form of the crime is committed. The punishment for committing a misdemeanor is a fine of 5-20 gold.

**Examples of this type of crime:**

* Assault (Assault stands for threats of violence).
* Grand larceny.
* Theft.
* Unjustly drawing or using weapons within the village.
* Hosting a peaceful illegal protest.
* Battery (The physical act of violence).
* Mutilation.
* Spying / Stalking.
* Lying in court or perjury.
* Blackmail / Extortion.
* Avoiding or dodging responsibilities, obligations or duties
* Refusing to cooperate as a witness or lying about being a witness in a criminal case.
* Continuously suing the same person without any proper factual evidence, as this would be seen as a cause for public or private defamation.

**Felony:** The most serious crimes committed. These are crimes that put the lives of others in danger, or serious harm, or extreme unnecessary violence. These crimes face at least 1 month (IRL) imprisonment, a fine of 20-100 gold, and any punishments decided within the following court trial.

**All Felony crimes require immediate arrest and furtherly a court trial.**

**Examples of this type of crime:**

* Arson.
* Murder.
* Manslaughter.
* Aggravated assault.
* Possession of illegal weapons or materials.
* Assaulting protected classes or special victims.
* Animal abuse.
* Endangering lives.
* Smuggling (possession of items not declared on the customs/checkpoint check)..
* Larceny.
* Hosting a non-peaceful illegal protest.
* Failure to attend a court summons or legal hearing.
* Corruption.
* Grave robbery or stealing from the deceased.
* Forgery or falsifying of official documents.
* Murder (of any degree).
* Leaking classified information or village secrets.
* Lying to police officers or other legal personnel.
* Impersonating high ranked officials, an officer of the law or any legal or authoritative personnel.
* Inciting violence, insurgence, treason on mass scale.
* Sedition.
* Conspiration against the crown and/or lordship.
* Breaching diplomatic immunity.
* Attempting to bribe a lawman or other authoritative persons.
* Inciting criminal activity.
* Kidnapping / Unauthorized detainment.
* Being accomplice to any of the crimes stated above.

A fine higher than the three standard types can be issued if a court trial is held and a person is charged with multiple felonies. In this case the judge will determine the final fine to be paid.

Resisting to pay a fine within the lawfully allocated period (typically 7 days) will result in a choice being given to the suspect of either paying the fine with a 50% interest rate added on top or risk a court summons. If they attend the court summons, an additional fee on top of the original fine will be issued. Failing to answer the court summons will result in an immediate arrest and a felony charge of “Failure to attend a court summons or legal hearing.” opened against the suspect.

Self defense is a legal concept that is recognized in the Land of Fire. However, each such case will be carefully evaluated for potential excessive use of force or even malicious intent (killing the offender when there was no need to - could have been safely apprehended instead). Depending on the investigation reports, witness statements and any other information, the self defense can either be accepted as is, or can be charged with anywhere from excessive force and all the way up to murder, depending on the severity of the attack.

Officers can only check a suspect if they have a legal warrant, there’s an ongoing state of emergency, terrorist alert or they're passing near a checkpoint.

To ensure that all protests comply with Konohagakure and Land of Fire laws and aren’t used to promote potential illegal activity, all protests must be submitted to the M.O.J. and gain official approval before they may take place. Failure to do so will result in legal action taken against the organizer and all attendees. Any illegal protests will be dispersed through the K.P.D. and available military personnel.

A person who turns themselves in willingly for committing a crime or proves themselves highly collaborative during the entire legal process may be subject to having their final sentence lowered by the court. However this only holds true if no ulterior motives are discovered for the aforementioned actions.

# **Military Law**

### **Laws Concerning Military Personnel**

The following individuals have the right to either deliver a verdict or a charge:

* **Official KPD officer (Only when appointed by one of the Military representatives with the authority to do so themselves and only applicable to charges, never verdicts).**
* **Council Member, with the approval of the Hokage or the Lord of MOJ.**
* **Hokage.**
* **Lord of MOJ.**

**General Laws Related to Safety Which Shinobi Must Adhere To**

The following actions are to be performed in order to ensure the safety of our Shinobi. Failure to comply will be met with consequences as stated below:

**Leaving without filling out the appropriate paperwork:**

All shinobi must sign out with the guards and notify them with where they are going and how long they will be gone. Repeat offenders will be punished based on how often this occurs and based on the potential or factual harm that occurred due to the offense.

**Leaving without an escort (students and genin only):**

Academy students must have a shinobi ranking Chuunin or above escort them when they leave the village, and genin must have a shinobi ranking Chuunin or above escort them when they leave the country.

* **First offense:** Fine of 3 gold pieces
* **Second offense:** Country or village arrest, depending on rank
* **Further offenses:** Punishment decided by the council

**Sparring without supervision (students and genin only):**

All spars must involve someone of Chuunin rank or above, whether it be as a participant or supervisor.

* **First offense:** Fine of 10 gold pieces
* **Second offense:** Banned from the training grounds for a week
* **Further offenses:** Punishment decided by the council

Excessive or lethal force used in a spar is an offense that must be investigated thoroughly and a punishment suitable to the degree of excessive force used will decide the punishment. These can range anywhere from a fine, demotion, imprisonment and even banishment from the land.

**Crimes Disgracing the Shinobi Army**

The following actions, crimes which disgrace the Shinobi army, will be met with consequences as stated below:

#### **Disrespecting of a fellow comrade:**

Defined as:

1. That the accused did or omitted certain acts or used certain language to or concerning a certain commissioned officer;
2. That such behavior or language was directed toward that officer;
3. That the accused then knew that the commissioned officer toward whom the acts, omissions, or words were directed was the accused’s superior commissioned officer; and
4. That, under the circumstances, the behavior or language was disrespectful to that commissioned officer.

**First Offense:** Can and will be tasked with missions to clean the village, and be put off active duty

Further offenses will be examined individually and handled by the Council and the court.

#### **Collaborating with foreign entities illegally:**

Any shinobi found out to be collaborating, hiring, working for or otherwise illegally (*meaning without an authorized mission or similar grant given by the village or country leadership*) being involved with a foreign nation, faction or other entity will be subject to be charged with the harshest degree of the law, involving no less than a charge of treason.

#### **Attacking a Fellow Shinobi of any Rank:**

**First offense:** temporary suspension from the Shinobi Force, and up to 7 days jail time (Attacking for any reason, besides self defense will be examined)

**Second offense:** up to 30 days in jail, consideration to demote permanently.

**Third offense:** Permanent demotion, at least 60 days jail, consideration to remove from the shinobi force.

Extreme cases will be dealt with prejudice, consider yourself warned. No second options for extreme cases.

Self defense is a legal concept that is recognized in the Land of Fire. However, each such case will be carefully evaluated for potential excessive use of force or even malicious intent (killing the offender when there was no need to - could have been safely apprehended instead). Depending on the investigation reports, witness statements and any other information, the self defense can either be accepted as is, or can be charged with anywhere from excessive force and all the way up to murder, depending on the severity of the attack.

#### **Interrupting a class in the academy:**

**First Offense:** Shinobi will be banned from entering the academy building for an entire month, Further offenses will have the punishment doubled.

### **Military Obedience**

There are three types of order’s which Shinobi may receive, this bill sets out how Shinobi should respond to such orders.

#### ***Order 1: Lawful Order by a Superior:***

The order must be carried out by the subordinate without hesitation or resistance. Refusal to carry out said Order will lead to demotion, or permanent expulsion from the Shinobi Force.

#### ***Order 2: Unlawful Order by a Superior:***

An order given by a superior officer to a subordinate that does not fit into the military code of Konoha, will still be carried out FULLY, however, will be reported to Village Council / Hokage afterwards. (Example: A Jounin commands you to make him coffee.) Ignoring an Unlawful Order will be punished in the same way as ignoring a Lawful order.

#### ***Order 3: Clearly unlawful Order:***

An order which harms innocent lives, for no valid reasons and/or risks the safety of the Village by doing so (Killing hostages, attacking innocent civilians) MUST be ignored, no matter the military Rank, failing to ignore said Order will put you into liability of said action as well as the one who commanded it. Such orders should be reported immediately to the Hokage, in his absence the council should be the first point of call for reports.

The Hokage will personally deliberate over all reports of Unlawful and Clearly Unlawful orders, and each case will be dealt with prejudice.

#### **Laws Concerning Desertion**

1. without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently;
2. quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or
3. without being regularly separated from one of the armed forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another one of the armed forces without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the village; is guilty of desertion.
	1. Any commissioned officer of the shinobi forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away therefrom permanently is guilty of desertion.

Any person found guilty of desertion will be declared a missing ninja and will be put on a priority list to be found and brought back to the village as swiftly as logistically possible. Any person charged with desertion will face punishments of no less than treason and will be persecuted to the harshest extent of the law. It is also permitted that deserters will be declared to be killed on sight, rather than risking a capture, if circumstances deem a capture to be too dangerous to be carried out.

#### **Laws Concerning Classified Information And Village Secrets**

All shinobi have a strict policy and duty to keep any and all classified information that is shared with them secret. Information of this nature may not be shared with anyone who is not authorized to receive it. **There are no exceptions to this rule**, classified information may not be shared with anyone, even with most trusted friends whom you believe would never share it with anyone.

It is strictly prohibited to leak any classified information or village secrets to outside parties or nations. Additionally, it is also illegal to directly or indirectly act towards any person holding classified information or village secrets in any way that could lead to them being forced to disclose information they aren’t allowed to. Examples of this would be extortion, blackmail and so forth.

Punishments for these types of activities will be treated as no less than treason and will yield the highest possible punishment that the legal system entails.

#### **Laws Concerning the Authority of Medical Professionals**

In relation to any medical conditions and the health and wellbeing of Shinobi, Authorized Senior Medical staff have a higher authority than any Shinobi rank in deciding clearance for mission and rehabilitation times for shinobi.

**Exclusion #1 to the Medic Law: State of War:** If in a state of war, any available Shinobi, no matter the condition, will be drafted to fight, and disregard the previous medical authority law.

**Exclusions #2 to Medic Law: Special missions:** Only approved by the Hokage himself which require specific Shinobi, for a specific task WHICH involves the safety of the village. Additionally a Council member may also command such a task with the approval of 2 more councilors, or the Hokage himself.

#### **Laws Concerning the Escort of Convicted Criminals**

A person who is successfully convicted of a crime that requires punishment of imprisonment and must be escorted to the special facility in which they will be held must follow the following protocol. The convicted must receive a full body search and have all weapons, items and any other property stripped from them that may pose any sort of potential threat to the escort squad which is taking the convict to the designated facility.

An escort squad must consist of no less than 5 people of at least the same rank as the convict holds or held. In the case where the general threat of the convict cannot be determined through rank, any other reasonable and suitable means of squad selection may be used. It is strictly prohibited for anyone who has potential personal ties or relationship to the convict to serve as part of an escort squad.

The convict must be apprehended in a way that poses as little risk to the escort squad as possible, this involves at the very least cuffing the convict’s arms behind their back, but allows additional measures to be taken if the convict is deemed a significant threat to warrant such excessive measures.

If by any means or at any time the convicted criminal manages to find a way to resist being escorted, attempts to escape, opposes or attacks the escortee squad, then the squad must evaluate the situation individually and if at all possible disable the convict without utilizing lethal force. As much force as needed may be used in order to ensure the safety of the escort squad and to ensure that the convict does not escape. If at any point the convict becomes a significant threat to the escort squad’s own safety or the risk of the convict’s escape becomes plausible, then the escort squad is eligible to use any force necessary, including the use of lethal force. The general census states that it is deemed better that the convict is killed than allow them to escape and continue to pose a threat to the country and potential foreign nations.

Excessive or even lethal force that is not deemed justified will be subject to very harsh legal action taken against the members of the escort squad that utilized it. An example of this is if a person that poses no threat attempts to escape and is immediately killed by a member of the escort squad.

#### **Laws Concerning Outlaws**

A person can be assigned the title of Outlaw by the country. This can only be done by the Hokage, the Village Council (by majority decree) or the Daimyo. An outlaw is a person who does not hold a citizenship in the Land of Fire nor holds a citizenship in any other country, which means that they are not protected by any country’s laws. An outlaw may be handled in any justified manner by those shinobi who encounter an outlaw. In a violent encounter, it is permitted to utilize lethal force, but otherwise methods of capture are generally preferred. An outlaw who has been captured does not fall under the country’s laws and therefore has no right to a trial. Instead, the capturing country will contact the country in which the outlaw was captured and inform them of the capture of the outlaw.

Generally there would be no restraint shown by the host country against an outlaw, but in the special case where the host country doesn’t agree to the capture, the outlaw must be released and brought back to the host country. Failure to do so could merit extreme repercussions, such as a diplomatic incident or even war. A country contesting the claim agrees to extend their legal system on the outlaw in question. If the host country doesn’t contest the capture, then the leadership of the capturing country may do as they wish with the outlaw in accordance with its own protocols. No law protects an outlaw in this case and the captive country would suffer no repercussions from doing with the outlaw as they please.

#### **Laws Concerning Rogue Ninja and Enemies of the Country**

A person can be declared a rogue ninja or an enemy of the country by the Hokage, the Village Council (by majority decree) or the Daimyo. A person declared in this manner will be added to the country’s bingo book, which is a book that openly lists all rogue ninja and enemies of the country for all of its shinobi and military oriented forces to see and stay on the lookout for.

**A Rogue Ninja**

A rogue ninja is a person who used to belong to the village’s forces and was by extent also a resident of the country, which places them under the country’s jurisdiction. This means that if a person like this is encountered, they should be dealt with in compliance with all of the laws of the country.

A rogue ninja may be handled in any justified manner by those shinobi who encounter a rogue ninja. In a violent encounter, it is permitted to utilize lethal force if it is not possible to subdue the rogue ninja, but otherwise methods of capture are always preferred. The capturing country will contact the country in which the rogue ninja was captured and inform them of the capture of the rogue ninja. Due to the rogue ninja falling under the jurisdiction of the capturing country, the host country does not legally have any claim to the rogue ninja, as such this contact serves only as a means to inform the host country of transpired events and to ease any potential tension that may arise. In the case that the host country does seek to contest the capture, the matter would be resolved diplomatically between the two countries.

**An Enemy of the Country**

An enemy of the country is a person who doesn’t fall under the jurisdiction of the country’s law, yet has citizenship or protection from another country.

The country should always contact the host country in advance and explain the reasons for why they wish to execute action against a specific individual. The host country may choose to approve or dismiss the request. If the request is accepted, the country is allowed to take action in the host country, while fully complying with the laws of that country whilst doing so. The host country may also choose to assist in the operation and assist the country during their efforts. If the request is denied, then no legal method of capture exists, as any action after this would certainly spark a diplomatic incident if discovered.

If the host country approves the request and successfully captures the enemy of the country, then the leadership of the capturing country may do as they wish with the enemy in accordance with its own protocols, this is because they still do not fall under its law’s jurisdiction due to not being a citizen of the capturing country. No law protects an enemy of the country in this case and the captive country would suffer no repercussions from doing with the enemy as they please.

# Special Laws

### **Laws Concerning Diplomatic Immunity**

Diplomatic immunity is granted to highly important personnel that crosses a foreign nation or land whilst on official duty or a diplomatic mission. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds its own register of persons who they deem as authorized and invited guests to travel the land freely without being stopped by legal entities such as the K.P.D. or the M.O.J.

A person who provides a legal entity with a Diplomatic Immunity slip (*this is shown with the Ambassador title in-game*) is exempt from all civil and military law as long as the host nation continues to keep their name on their list of registered diplomats. Any crime committed by diplomatic personnel should be reported to the M.O.J. immediately upon witness so that it can be reviewed and lead to their diplomatic privilege potentially being revoked, if deemed excessive,  diplomatically unjust or inappropriate. If a diplomatic slip is stolen, it must be immediately reported to the M.O.J. so that it can be disabled and prevented from being abused by unauthorized persons.

**Revision History**

**Revision November 7th 618:**

* Added law concerning outlaws.
* Added law concerning rogue ninja and enemies of the country.
* Added a new misdemeanor for avoiding or dodging responsibilities, obligations or duties.
* Updated clauses for escalation from infraction to misdemeanor and misdemeanor into felony.
* Rearrangement of certain crime’s categories.
* Added the clause “Any and all behaviours, actions or lack thereof aimed to break or circumvent existing laws are to be treated as crimes.”