Law & Order
Pandorans have a very strong respect for the law and
law-enforcement. That said, the
country's laws are a peculiar mish-mash of ancient and modern practices.
The monarch of Pandora enacts laws, often after lengthy
consulation with various advisors, and also acts as the head of the
judiciary.
Pandoran laws are blunt and to the point. Most will fit on
an index card. Copies of The Pandoran Book of Law are printed at the start of
each year with any updates and are available in every public library.
The laws are enforced by the Pandoran Constabulary, more
commonly referred to as blackjacks because of their shiny black coats and caps.
The blackjacks are organized along military lines with ranks ranging from
private to colonel. Only the higher
ranks, lieutenant and above, are allowed to carry firearms, but every blackjack
is equipped with a heavy truncheon and trained to deadly effect in how to use
it.
When someone is arrested for a crime, they are considered
innocent until proven guilty in court. The burden of proof falls on the Office
of the Prosecutor. Defendents are
required to have a lawyer represent them, and if they cannot afford one, the
crown will appoint one from the Office of the Defense. Most cases are handled in the Common Court,
but serious cases (assault with weapons, rape, murder) are handled in the King's
Court. In Pandoran courts, the prosecutors
and the defense present their arguments to a Court Magistrate in writing. This
includes all evidence. The Court Magistrate reviews the evidence, then submits
it to a three-person jury, called a tribunal, to determine guilt or innocence.
If the defendant is found guilty, they will appear before a Sentencing
Magistrate who will review the case and the convicted criminal's records, then
pass sentence. However, the sentence is
then reviewed by a third judge, the Merciful Magistrate, who decides if their
are mitigating circumstances that justify a lighter sentence. If so, the sentence is adjusted. More often
than not, though, the initial sentence will stand.
Pandorans do not believe in prison. They believe in
punishment. Convicted criminals are subjected to fines, whipping and caning.
Repeat offenders and chronic criminals face even harsher penalties. Execution, however, is reserved for serious
offenses, such as rape or murder. The most common form of exeuction in Pandora
is hanging.
Many newcomers to the island are shocked at the brutality of
the Pandoran justice system, but natives point out that the island has a
remarkably low crime rate.
Occasionally, an accused criminal will manage to escape from
custody and flee to either the wilds outside the city or the Underground. Those who flee to the wilds don'tusually last
long as the crown considers such individuals automatically guilty and places
large bonties on their heads. Those who flee to the Underground can sometimes
manage to build a new life for themselves in service to the King of the
Underground. However, they can never set
foot on the surface ever again or run the risk of being captured and hung.
Pandora has a small military consisting entirely of
vollunteers. The military is divided into the Pandoran Army and the Pandoran
Navy. Given the size of the island, the Pandoran military is quite small, only
350 people total. The Pandoran Army is
led by a single General, who reports directly to the monarch. The Pandoran Navy
is led by a single Admiral, who also reports directly to the monarch.
Given the unique nature of the island, the Pandoran Navy
performs mainly search and rescue operations, assisting fishermen and enforcing
Pandoran maritime laws.
The Pandoran Army is more active, and can be called upon to
assist the Pandoran Constabulary during times of unrest. They also assist in
search and rescue operations outside the city, as well as disaster relief.
Although anyone born in Pandora can enlist in the military,
the Army and Navy are dominated by so-called 'millitary families.' These are families where successive
generations have joined the Army or Navy.
These families are fiercely loyal to their respective military branches
and the Pandoran Royal Family.
The Pandoran Royal Family is protected by a military unit,
drawn from both Army and Navy, known as the Emerald Guard. During formal state affairs, the Emerald
Guards are easily identified by their dark green uniforms and proximity to the
royals. Joining the Emerald Guard is
considered a tremendous honor among military personnel. Most of the Admirals
and Generals overseeing the military have served in the Emerald Guard at one
time or another.
Military personnel are allowed to carry firearms while on
duty, but must secure them when they go off-duty. Military personnel who fail
to do so face severe discipline.
Intelligence matters in Pandora are handled by the Office of
the Question, which reports directly to the monarch. Known commonly as 'the Question',
this organization operates at all levels of society within the city and
without. There are rumors they even operate overseas and in the Underground,
although there is no proof of this. The
head of the Quesion is known as the Eye, and reports directly to the monarch.
The current Eye is Mrs. Elizabeth Caedshin, a quiet, genial lady in her fifties
with a steel spine and a capacity for orchestrating strategic violence that her
demure appearance belies. Although the Question has been implicated in several
unusual accidents, there has never been any concrete proof to support the
claims.
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