Royal Charter for the Stormwind Judiciary

Charter for the Stormwind Judiciary

ANDUIN, by the grace of the Holy Light, King of Stormwind, to his archbishop, 

bishops, abbots, dukes, marquises, counts, viscounts, barons, justices, foresters, sheriffs, 

stewards, servants, and to all his officials and loyal subjects, greeting.

TO ALL WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, GREETINGS!

WHEREAS during the thirty fifth year after the opening of the Dark Portal, the establishment of the first Grand Charter of the Stormwind House of Nobles sanctioned incorporation of our Justices and Magistrates under the Stormwind Judiciary, by right of the Great Seal and our royal predecessor, His Majesty, King Varian Wrynn, first of his name.

AND WHEREAS on various dates since, further rights and sanctions have been granted to the Stormwind Judiciary, and in one such amendment on the twentieth of January, during the thirty seventh year since the opening of the Dark Portal, the Stormwind Judiciary was incorporated beneath the Stormwind House of Nobles by right of the Great Seal and His Majesty, King Varian Wrynn, first of his name.

AND WHEREAS it has been represented to us by our right honorable and well beloved Ministers and Peers of Parliament that the Stormwind Judiciary should be made independent from the Council of Ministers and our House of Nobles, and that the objects, constitution and organisation of the Stormwind Judiciary should be reformed so as to enable it to better serve the interests of our people.

AND WHEREAS in accordance with our value of the services which provide safety and security to Stormwind’s highways and settlements by means of due process of law through the arbitration of trained Magistrates and Justices in lieu of our sovereign hand, we believe it to be in the interests of our people that there should be an independently organised branch of government that may provide such services and be permitted to govern itself in a manner compatible and concurrent with our gathered Parliament, House of Nobles, and Council of Ministers in a suitable legal framework.

NOW KNOW YE that we, by our prerogative royal, especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, do by this our charter for us, our heirs and successors, ordain and declare as follows:

Article I. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STORMWIND JUDICIARY

1.) On the Stormwind Judiciary
 * 1) There shall be established a new body of Stormwind government known as the Stormwind Judiciary responsible for operating the courts of law and making rulings on questions of law within the Kingdom of Stormwind, be they civil or criminal in nature.
 * 2) The Stormwind Judiciary shall be funded by His Majesty’s Treasury so long as it provides a budget approved by simple majority vote of the Stormwind House of Nobles.

'''Article II. JUSTICES OF THE CROWN OF STORMWIND'''

1.) On the Office of Justice of the Peace
 * 1) All serving Magistrates, Judges, and Justices of the courts of law within the Kingdom of Stormwind at the time of the passing of this charter shall be granted the title of Justice of the Peace and shall be incorporated formally into the Stormwind Judiciary.
 * 2) New Justices of the Peace may be created by the absolute consensus of serving Justices of the Peace present at a confirmation vote called for by any serving Justice of the Peace.
 * 3) The position of Justice of the Peace shall be a lifetime appointment, excepting removal or retirement.
 * 4) Each Justice of the Peace shall be empowered to make rulings on civil and criminal cases brought to them within the Kingdom of Stormwind.
 * 5) Each Justice of the Peace shall be empowered to grant warrants to law enforcement personnel in order for them to enact the King’s justice.
 * 6) Each Justice of the Peace shall be empowered to make grants of compensation at the expense of His Majesty’s Treasury in matters where an individual has been illegally wronged by Agents of the Crown.
 * 7) A Justice of the Peace may be removed from office by a simple majority vote of all serving Justices of the Peace.
 * 8) A Justice of the Peace shall be entitled to the postnominal style of “Justice of the Peace,” and shall be addressed in the proceedings of the court as “Your Honor.”

2.) On the Office of the Lord Chief Justice
 * 1) From amongst the Justices of the Peace there shall be elected by simple majority vote of all serving Justices of the Peace one Lord Chief Justice, who shall act with the status and prerogatives of a Minister of the Crown responsible for and to the Stormwind Judiciary.
 * 2) The fixed term of office of the Lord Chief Justice shall be equivalent to the fixed terms of office of any other Minister of the Crown.
 * 3) In addition to the powers granted to Justices of the Peace, the Lord Chief Justice shall be empowered to remove from office any other Justice of the Peace from service should he have valid reason to suspect that Justice of violating any defined court procedure or law.
 * 4) The Lord Chief Justice may be removed by a simple majority vote of no confidence by all serving Justices of the Peace, or may face procedure of impeachment by the Stormwind House of Nobles in an en banc proceeding of the Stormwind Judiciary.
 * 5) The Lord Chief Justice shall be entitled to the style of “the Right Honourable” and shall be addressed in the proceedings of the court as “My Lord” or “My Lady.”

'''Article III. THE COURTS OF THE KINGDOM OF STORMWIND'''

1.) On the Provincial Courts of Stormwind
 * 1) There shall sit in each of the established capital settlements of each province of the Kingdom of Stormwind a Provincial Court presided over by a Justice of the Peace.
 * 2) New Provincial Courts may be established by simple majority vote of the serving Justices of the Peace.
 * 3) If the defendant in a criminal matter contests the charges levelled against him by His Majesty’s Constabulary, then the matter shall be referred to the Provincial Court local to where the incident purportedly took place.
 * 4) For a matter to receive a civil hearing in a Provincial Court, the attorney for the plaintiff party must apply to the Provincial Court most local to the contested issue to have the matter heard.

2.) On the High Court of Stormwind
 * 1) There shall sit in the City Hall of Stormwind City a High Court, presided over by the Lord Chief Justice and any other Justices whose counsel he requests, to hear appeals of rulings, either civil or criminal, from the Provincial Courts.
 * 2) A ruling from the High Court shall be considered final, short of the direct intervention of His Majesty the King, in the resolution handed down in response to a question of law, be it civil or criminal.

3.) Appealing to the High Court
 * 1) For a case to be considered by the High Court of Stormwind, a ruling of a Provincial Court must first have been made. The appellant, be it prosecutor or defendant in case of a criminal proceeding, or plaintiff or defendant in case of a civil proceeding, must submit a “petition of appeal” to the High Court.
 * 2) The High Court shall be empowered to decide whether there is sufficient legal question for the petition of appeal to be accepted, in which case an appeal case shall be heard before that same body.

'''Article IV. JUDICIAL INQUIRIES WITHIN THE KINGDOM OF STORMWIND'''

1.) On Judicial Inquiries in Stormwind
 * 1) The Lord Chief Justice shall be empowered to call a judicial inquiry in any matter that they consider requires the authoritative examination of the law in order to determine if a law or action violates, contradicts, or circumvents the rights of the subjects and nobility of Stormwind.
 * 2) The Stormwind House of Nobles shall be required to provide the Stormwind Judiciary with suitable premises in order to conduct a judicial inquiry when one is called. 
 * 3) Judicial inquiries shall be empowered to receive evidence under oath of truth. No judicial inquiry shall be empowered to convict a person in the manner of a court of law, but may make recommendation of charges in light of evidence presented.