Predaconian subjecthood law

**Predaconian subjecthood law** prescribes the conditions under which a person is recognised as being a subject of the Predaconian Empire, and the corresponding legal status according to the level of subjecthood. The \_\_ different classes of Imperial subjecthood each have varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the Imperium’s status as an empire. The primary class of Predaconian subjecthood is **Predaconian citizenship**, a privileged political and legal status afforded to free individuals, which is associated with the Universal Empire itself, and particularly the Prefecture of Predaconia. Other than full citizenship, there are other forms of citizenship which grant less rights to the people, but often with historical benefits to not joining the Predaconian populace.

## Terminology

In most of the universe, nationality refers to a person belong to a sovereign state, while citizenship refers to set of rights and duties that nationals must follow. In the Empire, however, citizenship was often considered a privileged status, while the collective peoples of the Empire were referred to as subjects. The modern form of the various types of citizenship, refers to as subjecthood, was only codified in recent centuries.

### Types of Imperial subjecthood

There are \_\_ types of Imperial subjecthood. Any of the following is an **Imperial subject** (Tenecousian: *Civis Mundi*, lit. “Citizen of the Universe”).

#### Predaconian citizenship

**Predaconian citizenship** (Tenecousian: *Civitas Predaconi*), commonly known as **full citizenship**, is a privileged status conferring all rights of the Predaconian state. In the entire universe, the words “*Civis Predaconus sum*” (“I am a Predaconian citizen”) guarantees honour, respect, and dignity for the citizen, for no nation would dare face the Predaconian Empire’s retribution. Due to it’s high stature, only by *jus sanguinis* that one may obtain this status, being born either to one Predaconian citizen or to two Rifarian citizens. An indicator of the classist and racist past, full citizenship is divided into two groups:

* Predaconian citizens (Tenecousian: *Cives Predaconi*) who are ethnic Predacons, who would have been citizens prior to the codification.
* Honourary Predaconian citizens (Tenecousian: *Cives Predaconi honorarius*) who are those citizens who consist of non-Predacon ethnicity, with codified rights to citizenship only being granted after eons of progress.

#### Catholic citizenship

**Catholic citizenship** (Tenecousian: *Civitas Catholicus*), often referred to as **Predaconian denizenship**, is a status in which the members have all status of a Predaconian citizen, except for the prized right to suffrage, and the right to marry *cives Predaconi*. It is considered a transitory state, with all immigrants, freed slaves, and ranked up citizens reaching this as their highest level of citizenship; having children with another of the same grants their heirs Predaconian status, while with any other keeps them as Catholics. An exception to the rule is that the monarch may at any time raise a denizen to full citizen.

#### Federate citizen

**Federate citizenship** (Tenecousian: *Civitas Foederati*), often referred to as **half citizenship**, is a status of subjecthood which consists of citizens of various domestic dependant states. These peoples are bound perpetually to the Empire by treaty, with specific terms depending from nation to nation. While not allowed to vote or marry Predaconians, they often have specific rights, and always have the option to exchange their Federate citizenship for Catholic citizenship.

#### Provincial citizen

**Provincial citizenship** (Tenecousian: *Civitas Provincialis*) is a form of subjecthood provided to all those who have no other citizenship within the Empire, to all citizens of members of the Catholic Commonwealth, and territories occupied by the Empire/Commonwealth; any sentient being of the universe is, in theory, entitled to this form of subjecthood.

#### Slave

**Slavery** (Tenecousian: *Servitus*) is a form of legal status for persons in the Empire deprived of *libertas*, most legal rights. The legal state of slaves is based on the fact that the slave is not a subject but an object of law.

A master has the right of ownership over the slave. The master could sell the slave, give the slave in pawn but certainly could not harm or kill them. If someone injured the slave, a master may initiate legal proceedings and demand protection. The ownership over the slave is called *dominica potestas*, and not *dominium* like the ownership of objects and animals.

In the legal system, a slave does not have a family. Their sexual relationships with other slaves is not marriage (*matrimonium*), but a cohabitation without legal consequences (*contubernium*).

Masters could also give over a certain amount of property (such as land, buildings), known as *peculium*, to a slave for their management and use. This peculium is protected under Imperial law and inaccessible by the owner. This is another tool slaves may use to purchase their freedom.

The hierarchy of slaves, and their legal status of servitude, is also enshrined in law:

* ***Servus Caesaris***, a slave directly owned by the emperor, member of the **Familia Caesaris**
* ***Servus Publicus***, a slave owned by the government
* ***Servus Urbana***, a private slave in an urban or household job
* ***Servus Rustica***, a private slave in an agricultural job
* ***Servus Poenae***, a criminal convicted to slavery in physical labour