Codex Juris

Preamble:

In order to maintain a productive and just society, laws and methods of enforcement must be established. Without these mechanisms, society will collapse leading to death, famine, and plague spreading throughout the land. To prevent this chaos, the State of Rivia will establish a legal code, establishing the offices, codes, and penalties against which all subjects will be judged.

## Article I Agents of the Law

### Section 1: The High Justice

1. The High Justice of the State of Rivia sits on the Council of the chief executive of the lands known as Rivia. They shall be the final authority on all maters of law and judicial practice, answerable only to the chief executive themselves.
2. The High Justice will serve a life long term of office.
3. In vacancy, the High Justice will be selected by the Council with advisement of the chief executive.
4. The High Justice will investigate, apprehend, preside, and decide upon over all cases of treasonous nature with advisement of the chief executive.
5. The High Justice had legal right to issue any pardon, commuting, or amnesty.
6. The High Justice will appoint subservient Justices, Magistrates, and Officers to administer tasks for which the High Justice is not required.
7. The High Justice will be paid in method consistent with the Council.
8. The High Justice will preside over matters of civil wrongdoing only in the most dire and critical matters and will be properly compensated by the parties for the costs associated with the trial.
9. The High Justice will have the power of amendment to the Codex Juris with proper notice.

A. Proper notice will consist of publishing the revised codex at public boards in every town and city.

B. The posting will remain in view for a fortnight before taking effect, with exception made for dire need.

### Section 2: Justices of Law

1. The Justices of Law will interpret and enforce the laws of the land, acting as the legal experts of the land.
2. The Justices of Law will serve a 10 year term of office.
3. The Justices of Law may be dismissed early by discretion of the High Justice.
4. One Justice of Law will be assigned to each administrative district to maintain order.
5. A Justice of Law will investigate, apprehend, preside and decide upon on all cases of Capital Offense not handled by higher office.
6. A Justice Of Law will preside and decide upon all cases not handled by lower office.
7. A Justice of Law will preside over matters of civil wrongdoing in extreme matters and when properly compensated for the costs associated with the trial. A Justice of Law will preside over all wrongdoing not presided by appointed lower offices.
8. The Justices of Law will appoint subservient Magistrates as needed to accomplish the needed duties of maintaining law in the allocated districts.

### Section 3: Magistrates of Law

1. The Magistrates of Law will serve at the leisure of the Justices of Law and the High Justice.
2. The Magistrates of Law will handle daily administration of law and justice.
3. A Magistrate of Law will serve a 2 year term of office.
4. A Magistrate of Law may be dismissed early at the discretion of the appointing Justice of Law or the High Justice.
5. A Magistrate of Law will investigate, apprehend, preside over and decide upon all cases of felonious crime not handled by higher office.
6. A Magistrate of Law will preside over and decide upon all crimes not handled by higher or lower offices.
7. A Magistrate of Law will preside over all cases civil wrongdoing in all serious matters and all wrongdoing not presided over by lower offices.
8. A Magistrate of Law may appoint Officers as needed to accomplished the duties required of them.

### Section 4: Office of the Bailiff

1. The Bailiff will serve at the leisure of the Magistrates, Justices, and the High Justice.
2. The Bailiff will handle daily administration of justice on a local and minor scale as needed.
3. A Bailiff will serve an indefinite term until they resign or are dismissed.
4. Bailiffs may be dismissed by the appointing Magistrate or the High Justice.
5. A Bailiff will investigate and apprehend over all criminal cases not handled by higher office.
6. A Bailiff may appoint a jury of peers to preside and decide upon a case, civil or criminal, if he himself does not preside.
7. A Bailiff may deputize individuals to assist with apprehension and investigation of criminal cases.

## Article II Dispensing of Justice

### Section 1 Investigation

1. In order to discover the culprit of a crime, Agents of the Law will have the power to search and question those suspected, witnessing, or pertaining to the crime in question.
2. In order to discover the culprit of a crime, Agents of the Law will have power to search all locations pertaining to the crime in question.
3. Agents of the Law have the power to detain suspects, those protecting suspects, or those resistant to the investigation of any particular crime.
4. An Agent of the Law must proclaim their office to parties aggrieved by the investigation to assert their authority over the investigation.

### Section 2 Trial

1. A trial will consist of a Proclamation Phase in which the presiding Agent of Law will state which laws the accused has been charged against and the presiding Agent's office by which they charge them.
2. A trial will consist of a Presentation of Evidence in which the presiding Agent of Law will lay out the facts upon with the accused has been implicated in the crime. Whenever possible, the accused should be given opportunity to refute the evidence against them.
3. A trial will consist of a Declaration of Ruling in which the Agent of Law presents their finding that the accused is either guilty or innocent. Whenever possible, this should be done with the advice of a council of independent peers.
4. If the accused if found guilty, a trial will consist of a Declaration of Sentence in which the Agent of Law states the punishment to be in accordance with the crime. Whenever possible, this should be done with the advice of a council of independent peers.
5. A trial should be made public whenever possible, but in cases of resistant accused parties or high risk, the trial may be made privately.
6. Should an accused fail to attend their trial after proper notice, they may be convicted by default and the trial may precede directly to the Declaration of Sentence

### Section 3 Enactment

1. Following the completion of the trial, it falls on the Agents of Law to exact the punishment prescribed.
2. The punishment should be enacted as quickly as possible following the trial.
3. Those convicted of Capital Crimes maintain the right to Rope or Sword in choosing their method of execution. Reasonable accommodations will be made to ferry the condemned from their mortal coil.
4. Those unable to pay their debts to individuals or to the state will forced into servitude in human conditions until debts have been extracted.
5. In the event of an execution or exile without a named heir, all estate will default to the state.