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Justice system in Tyreseia

The law enforcement and judicial systems in Tyreseia function on principles established by multiple authorities, including the ideals of Participism, federalism, and syndicalism; the personal ideology of Azmelcart Xidduni; and the historic legal traditions of the Latin Empire, the Coptic Nazarene Church, and the Yen faith. Tyreseia's laws are based largely on civil law; almost all enforceable statutes are written in law codes and must not violate the Constitution of Tyreseia in their aims. Laws passed by the federal government and local governments alike are usually enforced by part-time communal constables under the concept of community policing; more serious offenses, like financial crime, treason, espionage and the like are under the purview of the Republican Guard.

History

The history of the law in Tyreseia is multifaceted, with influence and inspiration from multiple groups, nations, and schools of thought over time. Following the collapse of the ancient Latin Empire in Scipia, the Transrubricine city-states largely continued in the Latin legal tradition. Many courthouses were maintained by local urban governments, but records for many such institutions record a general decline in judges, lawsuits and staff employed as the chaos of the Empire's collapse lowered the population and drew many learned men either back to the Latin homeland or away to other lands. The legal profession struggled to recover for centuries, as Latin resources became harder to access and the standard of living declined. Trials and lawsuits, never the purview of the common peasant, became so rare by the time of the Caliphate that nearly all disputes were being settled by ad hoc arbitration via local magistrates and village elders. Vigilante justice was also common, as the collapse of the Empire led to an increase in brigandry on the Latin and Aradian roads of the countryside. It was in this state that early chroniclers of the First Caliphate found the Rubric Coast, and their observations served greatly to justify the spread of Azdarin religio-legal thought to the land.

The arrival of the Caliphate connected the nascent Coptic Nazarene Church with the vast body of literature and philosophy of Yen.

Policing agencies

Communes in Tyreseia are expected to provide their own law enforcement on most matters. In addition to outfitting a constabulary, communes also outfit unarmed public safety departments that deal with traffic violations, mental health emergencies, substance abuse problems, and the like. Occasionally, public safety officers and constables will work together, such as in an unstable public safety call that risks devolving into violence. Constabulary services typically consist of largely part-time patrol officers and full-time detectives. These detectives are often law enforcement veterans that go through extensive re-schooling to prepare them for investigatory work. They are quick to arrive at scenes of crimes following identification and closure by constables, and are trained to investigate the matter and bring evidence before the courts, if enough is found to make a trial possible. In some areas of minor infractions, constables and public safety officers alike are empowered to let off offenders with a non-binding citation. Though these citations in and of themselves do not compel court appearances or payment of fines, they may still be appealed and struck from appellants' records in court.

Constables are typically part-time to allow them both to contribute to their previous careers and to engender a sense of community responsibility and connection. Such practices are often lauded for allowing the mediation of legal disputes and troubles that might have otherwise gone to court. Smaller communes in geographically isolated places often resort to contracting with the Republican Guard to fulfill constabulary duties. The most common motivation is a lack of able-bodied people to work such a force, perhaps due to a labor shortage or a sheer lack of population in general. In such cases, Republican Guards constables are re-rolled into the Guards Local Constabluary Service. While in the community, they will work as full-time law enforcement to lower the number of personnel needed. Many communes will compensate the Guard financially in lieu of putting up tax revenue for their own constabulary service. This practice is rather common, and some rural locales will even share Republican Guard units between them to save on cost. Beyond this responsibility, Republican Guard Local Constables will most often be seen on a day-to-day basis aiding other constables in the protection of institutions, landmarks, tourist hotspots and other sensitive locations in big cities.

• Law Enforcement Gallery
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  Mounted constables in Ubongabal, wearing peaked caps
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  A constable in Balemun, wearing a kepi-style cap

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  A Republican Guard constable on security detail in New Tyria

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  A typical Republican Guard squad car in Utica

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  Hostage rescue training performed by the Rapid Response Force

Judicial proceedings

Much like its neighbor Talahara, Tyreseia's court proceedings function via an inquisitorial system. There are four levels of civil and criminal court, with each governing different jurisdictions and centers of the law. The lowest level, the Local Justice Committee, holds jurisdiction over local infractions, small claims, minor civil suits, and misdemeanors. These Local Committees are elected from among a locality's legally-qualified population, and may often be quite large, with certain areas of the law mandating tribunals of multiple judges or with certain judges specializing in supervising different areas of the law. From among the ranks of the Local Committees are elected judges for the Regional Justice Committees. The Regional Committees hold original jurisdiction over areas such as felonies enforced by local constabularies, some major lawsuits, and crimes happening in transit from one Local Committee's jurisdiction to the next. The Regional Committees may also hear appeals from Local Justice Committees. Above the Regional Committees sits one of two Federal District Committees; their judges are elected from among the ranks of Regional Committees, but their appointment is approved via referendum from the general populace. (In practice, said referenda are typically, though not always, a mere formality.) The two Federal Districts cover the eastern and western half of the country, respectively; their committees hold "federal crimes," such as those enforced by the Republican Guard, and nationwide or "high-profile" lawsuits as their original jurisdiction. The District Committees also hear appeals from lower courts and elect members to the Supreme Workers' Justice Committee. The Supreme Workers' Justice Committee serves as a final resort of appeal, and hears cases of constitutionality or suits against federal government agencies as its original jurisdiction.

Among Tyreseian citizens, the judicial system is generally seen as competent.

Criticism

The practice of contracting Republican Guards to serve as rural constabulary is a frequent topic of criticism. The legality of such a practice is actually dubious, as the Tyreseian Constitution makes no provisions for communes to do so.