Court for Beginners

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Court for Beginners

 

 

 

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In recent years trials have become more and more common in the lands of Hanseti-Ruska. During those years the office of the Justiciar has recognized a need for the common man and woman to get a proper source of information about the process and policies of the procedures of courts. To solve this problem we bring you this document, summing everything one needs to know about trials from beginning to end.

 

What is a court? When is one held?

A court of law is a body with Judicial authority given by the crown with the purpose to solve disputes of law. As the definition may suggest, we hold a court when a dispute is brought up before a Jovenaar in an attempt to solve it according to the law of the kingdom. The purpose of a court is not to punish, but to bring justice, meaning, in some courts there might not be a punishment at all as sometimes it is not just. For example, if it turns out the defendant was framed or if someone hurt another but it was a case of self defense. It is important to note that holding a court is not the only way a Jovenaar has to solve disputes, sometimes a Jovenaar would only act as a mediator in a meeting, for example.

 

Who can request to bring an issue to court? How?

Anyone may request to bring an issue to court by contacting a Jovenaar. The Jovenaar will then look into the case and decide if there is a court needed or not. Examples of cases where we would decide not to hold court are if a person who is not related to the issue reports, yet the parties involved do not wish to take it to court. Another case would be if while investigating the issue the Jovenaar determines it was a misunderstanding, or it becomes clear without doubt to all parties that the defendant is not guilty.

 

I called for court, what now?

To answer this question, we will sum two terms we use in the legal system - Criminal and Civil court. If you wish to learn more, you can read the study that was done relating to those two terms. But for our case, we will sum them this way - Criminal court is a court held, as the name suggests, when a crime, as defined by the book of laws of the kingdom, was committed. In these cases, even if you were the one directly harmed by the crime, the prosecution will be a representative of the crown, usually a Jovenaar. So you can lay back and let the Jovenaar do the work (While, of course, cooperating with the investigation.).

The second term, a Civil court relates to a dispute that is not defined as a crime by the book of laws. In these cases we will have the plaintiff, the one who was allegedly harmed by the actions of the defendant, on the seat against that defendant. As the plaintiff, you would need to bring evidence to prove your case in court. To explain everything you would need to know, we would need to write a whole other document detailing what to do and how. Luckily- we did. To get more information on that, you might want to check the prosecution guide published a few years before this document.

 

The three types of court

The Haurul Caezk provides us with three methods we may use in courts of law; Trial by Plea, Wits, or Combat. The most common one is Trial by Plea. It is what most of us think of when we think of a trial, a court with two sides seated before a judge bringing witnesses and evidence to prove their claims. An old traditional way to solve disputes, which now is also considered a form of a trial is Trial by Combat. The two parties duel to solve the dispute and determine the guilt. The third and most unique way of trial is Trial by Wits. This kind of trial has two similar forms, one, the parties playing a game of luck, such as tossing a coin, leaving the choice by GODAN's hands to determine the guilt. The other form is a game of wits as chess in which through the results of the game the guilt is determined. The type of court is chosen by agreement of both parties. In cases where agreement can't be reached, trial by plea is chosen by default.

 

I was called for court, what do I do? What will happen to me?

Our first and most important advice to you would be to cooperate. The more cooperative with any part of the case from investigation to the court itself, the better off you will be. The more incooperative, the worse off it will be. Next, we would advise you to gather your own evidence to protect yourself. The prosecution guide applies very much to the defendant as well, so we would advise reading it. If you feel like you were wrong in any part of the process up to the trial, you should bring it up at court. The judge was not involved in any part of the case up until the court itself so they will not know what happened unless you bring it up. While it is common to allow the defendant to bring someone to represent them at court with them, the law does not require the Jovenaar to allow and especially not to provide it themselves. But cases where a request to bring a representative with the defendant are rare, so you should not worry too much.

If you feel like you were wronged in court, you may send an appeal, bringing the issue to be handled by a higher ranking official.

 

The Aulic Court aims to be as transparent and fair as it can be. If one feels like they need aid or have been wronged in any way they may always contact a Jovenaar who will do their best to help. If one feels like there is information that they need or is missing, our office’s door is wide open to accept suggestions, advice, or any request to make the process of court easy, transparent, and just.

 

 

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SIGNED,

 

HIS Excellency, Johann Fredrick Ludovar, High Justiciar of Hanseti-Ruska, Count of Otistadt, Viscount of Sezwesk, Lord of Kazstadt

 

[CopOwl 1668]

"Spasiba Godani," Utters Adele Emma Ludovar in thanks for a document finally defining the rules and establishing further transparency of how the Courts actually work.