LAW AND ORDER
Law and Order in the Jade Empire of Ingen has its roots in traditional practices dating back millennia. Day-to-day patrol and enforcement duties are handled by the samurai ruling caste, whilst investigative and support functions are performed by the Imperial Bureau of Investigation.
PATROL AND CIVIL ORDER ENFORCEMENT
Policing in the traditional sense is carried out by the samurai ruling caste. Samurai are both a feudal class of nobility and a form of paramilitary force raised and maintained by feudal overlords. Part of their training includes public interaction, crime prevention and intervention, crowd control, basic EMT procedures and other relevant peacekeeping competencies. Samurai on patrol are typically armed with their Hikatana, which has several LTL capabilities and can draw upon Ashigaru reinforcements for basic crowd control, fire support and crime scene security roles. A specialized Royale Light Utility Vehicle or Rhictor Dynamics M43 Kestrel, equipped with a restraint cell for two prisoners and a light-capacity LTL grenade launcher, is the standard patrol vehicle for a two-person samurai unit.
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IMPERIAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Investigative procedures and specialist offices are handled by the Imperial Bureau of Investigation, or IBI. IBI offices exist in every Imperial city and town, whilst smaller villages and facilities often have a handful of agents stationed in the local overlord's castle or donjon to assist with investigations. IBI agents undergo a 20-week training program, followed by supplementary specialist training following their first deployments. IBI specialist offices include Serious Organised Crime, Homicide, Special Victims Unit, Vice and more.
THE JADE COURTS
The Jade Courts represent the judicial branch of government and are one of the few elected establishments in the Jade Empire. The Mura Court, the lowest level of judicial authority, cover areas corresponding to approximately 5-15,000 citizens each and consist of three part-time magistrates elected from the population annually and who are granted authority over misdemeanors and low-impact civil crimes.
Cases related to serious crimes such as homicide, treason, with a maximum sentence of more than 3 months incarceration or a maximum fine in excess of two thousand Jade Yen, must be referred to the superior Regional Courts. These courts cover much larger populations and employ full-time professionally qualified judges elected every three years.
Above these are the District and Provincial Courts, whilst the Imperial Court at Seiiki is the final appellate court in the land. Members of the Imperial Court are elected for a term of fifty years via a single-transferrable vote system, although they can in rare occasions be recalled by public referendum.
Cases related to serious crimes such as homicide, treason, with a maximum sentence of more than 3 months incarceration or a maximum fine in excess of two thousand Jade Yen, must be referred to the superior Regional Courts. These courts cover much larger populations and employ full-time professionally qualified judges elected every three years.
Above these are the District and Provincial Courts, whilst the Imperial Court at Seiiki is the final appellate court in the land. Members of the Imperial Court are elected for a term of fifty years via a single-transferrable vote system, although they can in rare occasions be recalled by public referendum.
LEGAL PRINCIPLES
The Imperial legal system works on a precedent basis, although judges are given some leeway in utilizing the golden rule during sentencing. The Imperial court systems aim for a mixture of punitive and rehabilitation-based goals when issuing sentences, and custodial sentences are rare. Fines, corporal punishments and domestic community work orders are common for lesser offenses, whilst off-world labour duties, execution and conscription into penal units are utilised for more
serious crimes such as murder and violent sexual assault. The Jade Empire is tolerant of common narcotics such as tobacco, coffee, marijuana and alcohol. Any more serious substances are deemed Controlled, and it is illegal to trade, supply or consume them. Controlled substances particular to the Empire include Gato, a stimulant that can cause feral behaviour and brain death in felidaens, Celadone, a depressant which can deterioriate the long and short term memory functions of many chordate species, and RAI-Stims, a range of chemicals and softwares designed to alter the consciousness or operating parameters of Real Artificial Intelligences.
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Softcore pornography and in-person gambling on card games, sporting events and other common table games is permitted, but hardcore pornography and online gambling are both prohibited for the public health.