Republican Laws

The various laws in place within the dominion of the Republic of the Water Country.

## Economic/Business laws

Corporate Taxation

* Based off Income, some exemptions for Government contracts. Lower rate for smaller business.

Monopolies

* Monopolies are generally not allowed. If a business comes too close to being one, it will receive fines and the likes along with heavy influence to break up from the government. If no action is taken, then it will be forcefully broken apart. (Loopholes such as owning multiple businesses exist)

Trade Secret Laws

* Trade Secrets are generally not regarded as valid until the business has filed it with the government. This information is kept quiet, but can then be protected since documentation is had.

Commercial Crimes

* Commercial Crimes include things such as; Embezzlement, Counterfeiting and Financial Crimes. The punishment for these crimes varies with severity, ranging from fines to seizure of assets or even to imprisonment of top members in the company.

Audit Legislation

* An audit can occur at any time, for any reason upon a business should the government decide it is needed. If anything such as hidden revenue or likes the is found, then the auditor can freeze the assets of the business while an investigation is conducted to find the depth of the problems.

Bankruptcy

* Bankruptcy can be declared whenever a business has fallen to zero funds or too far into debt. At this point, the business will.be bailed out by either another business or the government. This is done via loans which are paid back with interest once the business has recovered via money or assets. Some assets may be taken as collateral.

## Criminal Rights

* Detainment

Suspected criminals can be detained without probable cause for as long as the detaining group feels proper.

* Interrogation

Criminals can be afforded a defense. But the Republic often refuses to allow the defense to enter the detention center for hours or days after detainment, using a more of paperwork and forms that must be filled out before the defense can be brought to their client.

* Due Process

-A court of three judges presides over a hearing.

-No jury

-Judges decide whether suspect is guilty or not guilty after hearing all evidence and testimonies

-Rigged system, judges often convict people that aren't guilty to get the case off of their desks

* Imprisonment

-If deemed appropriate, guilty people are placed in labor camps and forced to work on government constructions such as roads. They also make big rocks into smaller rocks.

* *“Rehabilitation”*

-Prison sentences can be anywhere from 2 years at minimum to 20 years. Any crime deemed higher than a 20 year punishment is to be deemed a death sentence to ease the strain on the government.

-In lieu of a prison sentence, prisoners of less serious crimes can “voluntarily” be forced into the Republican Navy for one year less than their original sentence as rowers.

-Judges are known to give longer sentences to convince suspects to join the Navy for fewer years.

## Taxation

* Citizens are grouped in taxation classes that depend on their property, family size and profession. Each decade, a tax collector will size up and either move the household to a new taxation class or not.
* Taxes levied upon non-citizens are somewhat larger. Despite not being excessive taxes, they are of higher percentages than those with citizenship. The same taxation system of the citizens is placed upon non-citizens.
* In case when a household isn’t able to pay the required amount, they can reduce their taxation by providing military services to the Republic.

## Military service - Citizenship

Citizenship can be acquired by foreigners by serving into the military of the Republic, for a period of 5 years. In these years, the respective individual will be trained to serve the Republic. Wages for non-citizens are considerably less lower and it is less common to see non-citizens climb the hierarchy. Once a non-citizen has served for five years, they are granted citizenship. With that, their children will gain citizenship. This, however, doesn’t appeal to the spouse of the individual.

## Rights and Duties

### Rights

* Those with citizenship aren’t allowed to be sold into slavery.
* Citizens of the Republic are allowed to use their slaves as they see fit.
* Those with citizenship can’t be detained for a minor felony for longer than three days. As one might expect, this doesn’t apply on graver felonies.
* Tax reduction with citizenship and having members of the household in the military.
* Allowed to climb the higher positions of society, both civic as military.
* Felonies against non-citizens are often less harshly punished when the aggressor is a citizen.

### Duties

* Uphold the peace within the Republic.
* Serve the laws and decrees of the Republican Council.
* In times of need, every male that is 20 years can be drafted into the navy or land force. Some financial aid or tax reduction is often in place on their households. Men beyond 60 years are no longer considered eligible.
* Any slave caught must be brought back. Failing to do so is considered treason to the peace of the Republic.