The Codices of Law in Demeria

[Grandmaster]

Law within Demeria is codified for ease of enforcement and as the mark of a civilized society. All laws come from the hand of the King, superseding any law created within the duchies if there is a conflict, yet the Crown makes few to no laws that have not been discussed amongst the Dukes prior to ratification. After all, a lawful society functions more smoothly if all parts work together for the protection of the people and their interests.

The laws of the Kingdom of Demeria are broken down into the following sections:

A - Civil Codes
1. General Rights of the People
2. Obligation and Responsibilities of the Nobility
3. Matters of Family
4. Inheritance
5. Redress and Conflict Resolution

B - Criminal Codes
1. Lesser/Petty Crimes
2. Victimless Crimes
3. Crimes Against People
4. Crimes Against Children
5. Crimes Against the Crown

C - Economic Codes
1. Fair Market Trade
2. Currency Standards
3. Tariffs, Taxation and Tithing
4. Trade Agreements
5. International Trade

D - Succession Code
1. Eligibility
2. Legitimization
3. Abdication
4. Regency
5. Confirmation of Successor

E - Miscellaneous Codes

[Grandmaster]

A - Civil Codes

Drafted by the Crown and Council, ratified by the Six Dukes of Demeria and the Conclave of Bishops, the Civil Codes apply to all citizens of Demeria without regard to social or economic standing. All of the above agree to uphold, maintain and enforce the Code for the good of all Demeria, making such amendments and revisions as necessary through time.

1. General Rights of the People

- Each citizen of Demeria has the right to live without fear for his or her life, to seek out what means available for the general prosperity and protection of him or herself and to enjoy the fruits of his or her labors.

- Each citizen has the right to speak his or her mind and voice his or her opinions provided it is done so peaceably. Though Demeria is not a democracy, neither is the Kingdom a realm of tyrants and despots.

- Each citizen may worship the god of his or her choice within the privacy of their home without fear of persecution.

- Each citizen of the realm, without regard for social or economic rank, is entitled to receive a basic education of reading, writing, and arithmetic at a church-school.

- Each citizen may live without the fear of enslavement; there is no slavery permitted within the boundaries of Demeria.

2. Obligation and Responsibilities of the Nobility

- A noble of Demeria is required to uphold their oath of loyalty and fealty to their King, Duke or Lord. A violation of this oath will result in a loss of title, lands or privileges associated with that rank.

- A landed noble of Demeria has a responsibility to the people who serve him or her. Just and honorable treatment, decent housing and fair agreement on the divisions of labor and harvest. A noble who mistreats, abuses or fails in his or her obligation faces a loss of lands, title and prosecution by the Crown.

- A landed noble of Demeria must be prepared to answer the call of the Crown at any time to serve the Kingdom's needs.

- Those who possess courtesy titles must also be prepared to answer the call of the Crown the same as any landed noble.

- A landed noble has a responsibility to see his or her annual tithe to the Crown fulfilled in the manner agreed upon; if a noble is unable to meet that obligation due to neglect or a matter within their control, they may face a loss of title and lands. If the failure is due to circumstances beyond control, the noble may appeal to the Crown for extension or excusing.

3. Matters of Family

- There is no minimum age for betrothal within Demeria; however, the minimum age at which a citizen may marry is 15.

- Marriage within Demeria is defined as a contract between one man and one woman, bound by law and oath.

- Marriages amongst the nobles require consent: A Knight must have his Liege's permission to wed. A member of a Vassal House must have the Vassal Lord's permission to wed. A Vassal Lord requires his Liege Lord's permission to wed. Members of a Ducal House require the Duke's blessing to wed. Dukes must have the Crown's permission to wed. The Crown must obtain Council approval to marry.

- Dowries and/or bride prices are not required but are recommended. These should be negotiated with other terms in the betrothal agreements.

- Annulments may only be obtained under the following circumstances: the marriage was never consummated, the marriage can NOT be consummated, the marriage did not receive the necessary permissions, the marriage was forced on one of the parties without the consent of their lord (this includes proxy marriages), the marriage terms were deliberately misrepresented/one of the pair has been exposed as fraudulent.

- Divorces are extremely rare but may be obtained from the Crown under the following circumstances: one partner fears for his or her life and can prove physical abuse to themselves and/or children, one partner has been exposed as a traitor or convicted of a major crime, one partner has been missing for a minimum of three years without contact or signs of whereabouts.

- As regards children: parents have a responsibility to see their children housed, fed and clothed decently, to provide a measure of education and proper training for their station in life. Any parent who fails in this responsibility, or abuses the child, will lose custody of the child, who will become a ward of the Crown or Church, and face consequences. The Crown has no tolerance for the mistreatment of children, as they are the future of Demeria.

4. Inheritance

Inheritance of noble titles and lands in the Kingdom of Demeria is largely patrilineal, meaning passing from father to son. However, there are exceptions made whereby a female may inherit in the absence of all other male heirs or if there is a long-standing tradition of female inheritance.

- Noble titles pass from father to eldest son unless the eldest son is deceased, incapable of holding the title or disinherited. Then the title will pass to the next son in line. In the absence of a son, the title then passes to a younger brother, nephews or cousins within the main family line. In the absence of a main family heir, the title may pass to a cadet branch of a family with the blessing of the Crown Council.

- Courtesy or Court titles may not be inherited; any privileges associated with a Court Title revert back to the Crown with the passing of the title holder.

- Knighthood may not be inherited, it must be earned. Squireship is not necessarily a requirement to knighthood as battlefield knightings or recognition knightings may take place at Crown discretion.

- Females may inherit tracts of land, specific houses or endowments. In order for a female to inherit a noble title, the title must have been established as capable of matrilineal inheritance or a special dispensation must be issued by the Crown.

- Illegitimate children are deemed ineligible for inheritance of their natural father's title unless the child is legitimized (must be approved by the Crown Council) and then recognized by the Council as an heir.


5. Redress and Conflict Resolution

In times of conflict or dispute and in order to avoid needless bloodshed, the citizens of Demeria may turn to the Holy Order or to the Crown to resolve the issue. In doing so, they imbue their trust in the Justicar or the Crown to reach a fair, equitable and permanent resolution.

- All evidence must be presented at the time of the hearing.

- Witnesses may be called to support or refute testimony.

- All parties agree to abide by the ruling of the Crown or the Justicar, and consider the matter closed when the ruling is issued.

- The issue presented for resolution must be of a serious, rather than a capricious nature. The Justicars and the Crown are not there to settle petty squabbles or resolve personal conflicts.

[Grandmaster]

B - Criminal Codes

1. Lesser/Petty Crimes

These crimes carry penalties of a more minor nature - time in the stocks, fines, return of property or community service.

- Minor Theft/pickpocketing
- Public Drunkenness
- Public Brawling
- Disturbing the Peace
- Obstructing Traffic
- Slander/Libel

2. Victimless Crimes

Categorized as crimes against property or locations, these crimes are of equally serious nature and hold penalties of imprisonment, exile from a specific city, fines, hard labor or indentured servitude.

- Vandalism/Defacing Property
- Arson
- Willful Destruction of Property
- Destruction of Official Documents
- Theft of Horse or Equipage
- Damage to thoroughfares

3. Crimes Against People

Specified to be crimes against adults, rather than children, these crimes are of a significant nature and can carry weighty penalties, up to and including death, lifetime imprisonment, confinement to a labor camp, exile and restitution of property and/or fines.

- Battery [ threat to commit harm ]
- Assault
- Theft of Personal Property or Items of Value above 100 gold crowns
- Harassment/Stalking
- Elder Abuse
- Sexual Assault
- Rape
- Manslaughter
- Murder
- Conspiracy to Commit one of the above crimes.

4. Crimes Against Children

Considered to be of a most serious nature, the Crown takes a firm stance on crimes against children, delivering strong penalties - the child may be taken into Crown custody as well. Imprisonment, fines, exile and other penalties may be imposed.

- Neglect
- Failure to Support
- Involvement in the Perpetration of Crime
- Physical Abuse/Assault
- Sexual Abuse/Assault
- Murder

5. Crimes Against the Crown

These crimes come with only two penalties and are levied without remorse - death or exile from Demeria.

- Incitation to Riot against the Crown
- Sedition
- Conspiracy Against the Crown
- Treason
- Assassination of a Member of the Royal Family

[Grandmaster]

C - Economic Codes

In order to encourage open and thriving trade, Demeria has enacted a number of laws to preserve the economy, protect buyer and seller alike and to ensure that no one person may obtain a monopoly to be used against the People.

1. Fair Market Trade

- In the fair market, each vendor may look to make a reasonable profit through honest trade.

- In the marketplace, all weighing devices must be calibrated and used properly. If a vendor is suspected of misusing his scales, he can be brought up on charges of theft and must prove his case before a Justicar or Magistrate.

- Each vendor is expected to provide fair pricing, to be open to negotiation/haggling and pit his skills against a buyer.

- Buyers are expected to be capable of knowing a fair price for an item. If they are poor hagglers, neither the market nor the vendor are responsible.

- Vendors are expected to pay their market fees in a timely and honest fashion.

- Vendors are also expected to follow the rules of the marketplace in which they are established, and to know these rules prior to setting up. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse for breaking them and may result in removal and/or banning from that city's market.

2. Currency Standards

In Demeria, the economy is based on the gold standard, broken down into coppers, silvers and golds for ease of currency.

- 100 coppers is equal to 1 silver

- 10 silvers is equal to 1 gold

- Gems used in currency exchange are done in silver-weight.

- Coins from other realms are allowed to be used in Demeria and are based on weight.

3. Tariffs, Taxation and Tithing

- No resident of Demeria, regardless of rank, is exempt from taxation and/or tithing. Peasants pay their taxes to their Lord in labor and/or a percentage of their goods or harvests. Lords pay their Dukes in coin, labor, percentages of harvests/goods and troops. Dukes pay the King in service, coin and percentage of goods/harvests as well as troops.

- All imported items are subject to a sliding scale tariff based on the item's value.

- All foreign traders who enter Demeria with the intent of selling their goods pay a nominal tariff.

- The Church and her Orders are exempt from taxation; however, they are not exempt from tithing service, a portion of their proceeds and their goods to the Crown in the name of supporting Demeria and her people.

4. Trade Agreements

In the spirit of encouraging free trade, nobles may engage in trade agreements between cities and populations. These agreements are subject to review and approval by the Crown and may not be used to monopolize the markets.

- Trade Agreements may be conducted between two or more cities for the purposes of augmenting short supplies, developing greater flow of trade in specific items and/or creating markets for new items.

- Trade Agreements may also be created for the purposes of training and/or apprenticing between cities.

- Suppliers to the Crown's palace and properties are secured via trade agreement.

- Terms of trade agreements must be fair to all participants and contain a clause whereby the agreement may be ended for legitimate business reasons or in case of one party's violation of the terms.

5. International Trade

Details to come soon.