Rihtgemot

The Rihtgemot is the judiciary of Brytene, and was established in 1752AD as part of the Great Charter of Brytene, which amongst other things guaranteed the right to trial by jury. The Rihtgemot, commonly known as the Courts, operate across the country and are responsible for administering justice. Other than Petty Claims, which requires only a magistrate, all citizens are guaranteed the right to trial by jury. Law enforcement is one of the duties of the Thegns, who oversee regional police departments. Brytene as a whole has national criminal investigative departments, but otherwise power is delegated at a sub-canton level.

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Mounted Police during Ballot Day

Brytene uses common law, whilst the Magna Carta guarantees certain principles and rights to all. The highest court of appeal is the Witenagmot itself, but for a case to get this far is an unusual and drastic measure requiring the presence of at least three Eorls and the Bretwalda to attend.

Each Riding and most major cities have their own civilian police force. In total, there are 107 local police forces across Brytene, employing 185,903 police officers as of 2015. All police forces are answerable to the Rihtgemot and the Thegns in their jurisdiction. Brytisc police are unarmed, relying instead upon the Fyrd or professional military to handle rare firearms offenses. Standard policing is traditionally carried out by uniformed officers who utilise a variety of non-lethal equipment including telescopic batons, staves, sprays and tear gas, shields, and animals such as horses or canine units. Diplomatic protection, homeland security, and counter-terrorist operations are carried out primarily by R-DARK, the military intelligence agency.

Brytene is very pro-rehabiliation, though these processes can last years. Prisoners are put to work on government projects, but are encouraged to take pride in their contribution to society via a range of projects designed to reform them into exemplary citizens and minimise incentive to re-offend upon release. Only 66 out of every 100,000 citizens are currently incarcerated.

Capital punishment was removed as a legal punishment with the introduction of the Magna Carta. The most severe punishment in Brytene is widely considered to be that given to violent sexual offenders, who are typically subjected to a range of chemical treatments to sterilise them and degrade any aggressive or dangerous impulses. Life sentences are quite common, and parole is typically only granted when a prisoner is considered to be fully rehabilitated. Early release cases must be individually approved by the Thegn of the Riding, following the advice of a panel of independent evaluators.

In the case of the most heinous of offenders, who are wholly unsuitable for release and unlikely to ever be rehabilitated (for example, those accused of serious crimes against minors), mandatory lifetime imprisonment in the Underdark is a common recourse.

The Underdark was originally a network of natural caverns in the limestone hills near Contwaraburg. The full extent of the caverns is unknown, but they have traditionally been used as a dungeon throughout history. Today the more modern Underdark facilty sits near the original site, which is currently a museum and tourist attraction. It is situated wholly underground, with prisoners never allowed to leave their cells or communicate with other humans, and fed on a nutrient-poor diet.

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