Laws of Gilneas

Within the Kingdom of Gilneas, law is maintained and handled based on region. As a result, laws within the Duchy of the Headlands may differ from laws in Gilneas City proper. These laws, considered as regional laws, are typically evolutions or bastardizations of existing country laws, which are laws mandated by the crown to be observed in all regions. These country laws fall into two categories, crown laws, which are mandated to be followed to their existing standard, and standard laws which may be altered depending on the region to fit so long as the initial premise remains in tact. The laws detailed here mostly consist of country laws, both crown and standard, and have been noted to be somewhat out dated in various respects given the status of the kingdom.

Country Laws
As stated previously, country laws are laws mandated by the crown or those bearing his majesty's royal authority and are expected to be followed in all regions of Gilneas. These laws fall into the category of the unchangeable Crown Laws and the modifiable Standard Laws. Crown laws typically dictate in the beginning "As dictated by the royal house, this law shall not be altered...".

Assault and Battery
As dictated by the royal house, this law shall not be altered...

I.) A person found attempting or threatening another person shall be found guilty of assault. Re-compensation, if found guilty, is dependent on the degree of the assault and shall be handled by the responding constable. If the offending party continues to be belligerent they are to be held for no less than a day within jail. The assaulted party may opt to drop charges against the offending party if desired. II.) A person found harming or striking another person shall be found guilty of battery. Re-compensation, if found guilty, is dependent on the degree of the battery and shall be handled by the responding constable. In addition, if found guilty of battery, the offending party shall spend no less than a day jailed if found guilty and may have sentence raised in accordance to injuries sustained by the assaulted party. III.) A person found harming or striking another person after having made threats or attempts to do so shall be found guilty of assault and battery. Re-compensation, if found guilty, is to be no less than twenty five silver groats and in response to injuries may be raised. In addition, the offending party is to spend no less than a day jailed if found guilty and may have sentence raised in accordance to injuries sustained by the assaulted party. IV.) A person found harming, striking, threatening or attempting to strike any member of the Royal Family is to be arrested and held indefinitely. The charge is to be elevated to high treason. V.) A person found guilty of harming, striking, threatening or attempting to strike any member of the ruling nobility of a region is to be arrested and held indefinitely. The charge is to be elevated to high treason. VI.) A person found guilty of harming, striking, threatening or attempting to strike a member of nobility outside of their circle of power is to be arrested and held indefinitely. The charge is to be elevated to petty treason. VII.) A person found guilty of harming, striking, threatening or attempting to strike a member of the crown's royal authority or an agent of the crown is to be arrested and held for no less than fifty days without verdict. The maximum penalty allowed is death by hanging. VIII.) All charges may be contested with the exception of treasonous actions.
 * If the offending party is found to be the spouse of the assaulted party, the assaulted party is granted grounds to annul the marriage within twenty days of the offense.
 * If the offending party is found to be the spouse of the assaulted party, the assaulted party is granted grounds to annul the marriage within twenty days of the offense.

Addendum: If the offending party is a member of nobility or a knight of reputable standing, they shall not be held for longer than ten days assuming the charge is not petty or high treason. With the exception of assault upon the royal crown or ruling lord of the region, the penalty of death may not be sentenced. Such crimes are required to be handled within a court where proper re-compensation shall be discussed.

Murder
I.) A person may be found guilty of manslaughter if they cause unintentional death of another person under the crown. The offending party is to be held until it is confirmed the death was unintentional. Re-compensation to the family of the deceased is required and may be no less than fifty silver groats per person of the immediate family so as to support them. II.) A person may be found guilty of lesser murder if they cause the intentional death of another person under the crown. The offending party is to be held indefinitely until sentencing is made and the estate of the offending person must re-compensate the immediate family of the deceased one gold sovereign per person. The maximum penalty is death by hanging. III.) A person may be found guilty of greater murder if they cause the intentional death of another person while having also or either devised a plan for the death of the offended party or having eviscerated or desecrated the corpse of the dead. The estate of the offending person must re-compensate the immediate family of the deceased three gold sovereigns per person. The maximum penalty is death by hanging and the minimum penalty is removal of a limb. In addition, those that survive such verdict that have been found guilty are to be branded upon their upper left, or upper right shoulder. IV.) A person found guilty of murdering an agent of the crown or an official of the royal authority is to be arrested and have a limb removed without question. The offending party's assets are to be seized and assuming the verdict of death has not been reached they shall face life imprisonment. (This does not include unintentional manslaughter.) V.) A person found guilty of murdering a member of the nobility or peerage is to be arrested and executed. The offending party's estate is to be seized and granted to the assaulted nobility's family. VI.) A person found guilty of murdering a member of the Royal Family is to be executed. The offending party's estate is to be seized and the family questioned for involvement in the murder. In addition, it is within the crown's right to exile those affiliated with the party. VII.) Those proven to be privy to involvement with the aforementioned crimes shall be treated as assistants to the crime and may be charged with full penalties.

Addendum: If murder is committed by nobility or a knight of reputable standard against another noble or a non-noble party, the death penalty is to be staved off until a final verdict is reached. If it has been found that the accused party is either the last of their house or this is their first offense, they will be forced into a steep repayment but shall not be granted death. In addition, no limbs are to be removed. Second offenses may allow death. Crimes against other nobles are to be dealt by court and the death penalty is allowed. Regardless of standing, attacking or murdering the monarch or a member of the royal family is considered high treason and punishable by death. Addendum: The offended party may push for a lesser sentence than death.

Dueling
I.) Duels within the Kingdom are considered a legal matter of handling disputes and may be substituted in place of normal punishment if accepted by both parties with the exceptions of crimes considered greater murder or any form of treason. II.) Duels are to be validated by the local court and then over seen by an official. The duelists are not required to be either party involved, but should the offending party's representative lose, full punishment shall still go onto them. III.) Deaths in lawful duels are not mandated to be re-compensated. IV.) Grounds for a lawful duel include: V.) A duel is to be considered unlawful if not validated by the court, not over seen by an official, or if rules of engagement of the duel are not followed beyond a first warning. The warning may be waved if the offense resulted in the death of the other duelist. VI.) A duel is over upon the death or yielding of one of the parties. If a party yields and the other does not acknowledge it and purposefully kills the other, it is to be considered lesser murder and charges will be dropped if the original offending party is killed.
 * Offense or besmirching of one's honor. These duels may be declined at any point.
 * Assault and/or Battery.
 * Lesser Murder
 * Debt repayment. These duels may be declined at any point. If the offending party is slain in their duel, the estate must repay any remaining debts.
 * Deaths in unlawful duels are considered lesser murder.

Addendum: Magic is not allowed within a duel unless stated otherwise. This includes between two magi. Both parties are required to agree to this.

W.I.P.