Sanctuary Act

Sanctuary Act

An Act to improve the functionality before the law of the provision of the rite of sanctuary by the Church of the Holy Light, in concord with the agreed reforms between His Majesty’s Government and the Government of the Church.

BE IT ENACTED by the King’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Temporal, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

1 Repeals of antecedent legislation

Sections 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the Cathedrals and Churchlands Act will be repealed by this legislation.

2 Legal standing and definition of the rite of sanctuary

Sanctuary constitutes the religious and legal impediment of an arrest in order to afford a period of well regulated respite and atonement in order to prepare the seeker for either ultimate surrender to the law, or abjuration from the Kingdom of Stormwind.

Sanctuary may only be issued by a priest of the Church of the Holy Light of the rank of Bishop or superior, within the Cathedral of the Holy Light, Stormwind City; or Northshire Abbey, Elwynn Forest.

For the purposes of the grant of sanctuary, to be considered “within” the Cathedral or the Abbey, one must have crossed the threshold of the entranceway of the building, and not merely be stood on its periphery, steps or surrounding estates.

The initiation of sanctuary requires the seeker to approach the relevant priest and declare “I seek sanctuary”, upon which the priest may decide - at his discretion - to grant or not to grant sanctuary.

If the priest does not elect to grant sanctuary, then the seeker shall enjoy no impediment of their arrest.

If the priest does elect to grant sanctuary, then they must issue the proclamation of sanctuary as follows:

“By your Declaration of Sanctuary, you may be granted Sanctuary upon the acceptance of the following conditions; you shall surrender your weapons, confess your sins, and be placed under the supervision of an ordained paladin or knight of the Church. You will choose within the sanctuary period either to surrender to the law and stand trial for your crimes, or take the Oath of Abjuration and exile yourself from the realm. If you decline or breach these conditions, or make an attempt to leave or escape before taking the Oath of Abjuration, you will be guilty of Breach of Sanctuary. If by word or deed you forfeit Sanctuary, you will be subject to arrest and shall be taken into custody by force. Do you understand and accept these lawful conditions?"

The seeker must agree to and abide by the terms laid out in the proclamation, otherwise they forfeit their right to sanctuary and shall enjoy no impediment of their arrest.

The period of sanctuary is determined between the sanctuary granting Bishop and an Agent of the Crown, for no less than one day, and no greater than three days.

3 Regulations upon the rite of sanctuary

The seeker must surrender all armaments to the Church or an available Agent of the Crown in order to maintain their right to sanctuary.

The following persons shall not enjoy the right to claim sanctuary: creatures of undeath, adherents of the Horde, dragons, adherents of the Burning Legion, those convicted of high treason against any Grand Alliance nation or those under immediate pursuit for the crimes of high treason or murder as defined by the Treason Act or the Crimes and Misdeeds Act respectively.

The exceptions above may be waived by the Sovereign or the Council of Ministers.

A paladin or knight of the Church must guard the seeker for the duration of his sanctuary.

It is incumbent upon the Church that when granting sanctuary to the seeker, they affix to him a functioning anti-magical cuff for the duration of that sanctuary.

4 Breach of the rite of sanctuary

The seeker will be considered guilty of breach of sanctuary if he should flee from the custody of the Church in the Cathedral of the Holy Light, Stormwind City; or Northshire Abbey, Elwynn Forest within the duration of his sanctuary, or refuses to meet the obligations of disarmament or confession, or he otherwise refuses to adhere to the procedures as required by this Act.

The priest will be considered guilty of breach of sanctuary if he should unlawfully extend the duration of the seeker’s sanctuary, or should otherwise aid and abet the abscondment of the seeker from the custody of the Church in the Cathedral of the Holy Light, Stormwind City; or Northshire Abbey, Elwynn Forest.

An Agent of the Crown will be considered guilty of breach of sanctuary if he should attempt to arrest the seeker after they have agreed to the terms as established in the proclamation of sanctuary (proviso that the seeker remains adherent to their obligations as defined in this Act), or should otherwise aid and abet the abscondment of the seeker from the custody of the Church in the Cathedral of the Holy Light, Stormwind City; or Northshire Abbey, Elwynn Forest.

A citizen will be considered guilty of breach of sanctuary if he should aid and abet the abscondment of the seeker from the custody of the Church in the Cathedral of the Holy Light, Stormwind City; or Northshire Abbey, Elwynn Forest.