Codex Lacobianus:
The Criminal Code
PART I
Preamble
1. The Criminal Code dictates what is, and what is not legal, to maintain social order and a civilized society.
2. Anyone who is within Adrian territory or is a citizen of the Duchy of Adria is subject to this Code. The Sovereign and the Duke is above this law. As well, the Sovereign and the Duke may command an order than goes against the Criminal Code as it is seen as for the good of the Realm.
A citizen of Adria is defined by the following terms:
Follower of the Church of the Canon and the Holy Palatinate
Has signed a citizenship form and submitted it to the Deputy of the Palace
Currently living in any member settlement.
3. Amendments to this Code may only be allowed by a unanimous vote by the Council of Adria.
PART II
Short Title
4. This Act may be cited as the Code.
PART III
Defence
5. A person is not guilty of an offence if he has only used a sufficient amount of force to prevent or stop an unlawful attack on himself or any other person.
6. A person is not guilty of an offence if he has only used a sufficient amount of force to prevent or stop an unlawful attack on his property or any other person's property.
7. Authorities have the right to detain or arrest any members of an unlawful assembly, and have the right to kill any members of an unlawful assembly who have taken the life of an innocent.
8. Any suspect who is arrested and tried for their crimes has the right to attempt and defend themselves in Court by their choice of any kind of trial mentioned in Part VII of the Code.
PART IV
Capital Criminal Offences
9. Anyone who kills or attempts to kill a member of the Council of Barons, maims or wounds, or imprisons or restrains a member of the Council of Barons is guilty of “High Treason”.
Anyone who who conspires to commit High Treason is guilty of “Treason” and will be put to death.
10. Anyone who levies war against Adria or assists an enemy at war with Adria is guilty also guilty of “High Treason”
11. Anyone who kills, attempts to kill, or conspires to kill a member of nobility is guilty of “Treason”.
12. Anyone who uses, attempts to use, or conspires to use unlawful force or violence for the purpose of overthrowing the Adrian government is guilty of “Treason”.
13. Anyone who is a witch or warlock, or general practitioner of the dark arts, is guilty of “Witchcraft”.
14. Anyone who willingly takes the life of another human being is guilty of committing a “Murder”.
Anyone who assists with the murder is guilty of “Assisted Murder”.
15. Anyone who unwillingly takes the life of another human being is guilty of committing “Manslaughter”.
16. Anyone who unlawfully captures the child of another through means of force or deception is guilty of “Kidnapping”.
PART V
Criminal Offences
17. Anyone who attempts to commit any of the Capital Criminal Offences mentioned in Part IV of the Code is guilty of attempting to commit that offence and is worth of receiving jail time.
18. Anyone who willingly produces or speaks of an untruth in a Court of Justice is guilty of “Perjury” and is punishable by jail time or removal of the offenders tongue.
19. Anyone who willingly does or attempts to do physical damage to another human being is guilty of “Assault”.
20. Any member of the Council of Adria or the Council of Barons who uses or attempts to use their powers unlawfully is guilty of “Corruption” (a) and is punishable by corporal punishment, jail time, or can be sentenced to exile from the Duchy.
21. Anyone who unwillingly damages the property of others is guilty of “Tort”.
But if the damage is done willingly the person is guilty of “Mischief”
If the damage is done by fire, the offender is guilty of “Arson”.
22. Anyone who willingly steals the property of others is guilty of “Theft”.
23. Anyone who willingly and unlawfully enters private property without permission is guilty of “Trespassing”.
24. Anyone who uses deception for the purpose of financial or personal gain is guilty of “Fraud”.
25. Anyone who produces a false document or alters a genuine document is guilty of “Forgery”.
26. Anyone who unlawfully captures or attempts to capture another person is guilty of “Abduction”.
27. Anyone who knowingly obtains or possesses another person's identity information is guilty of committing “Identity Theft” Anyone who claims to be another person, whether by lying or by manufacturing identity information, is guilty of committing “Identity Fraud”.
28. Anyone who illegally manufactures money is guilty of “Counterfeiting”.
Anyone who illegally and willingly destroys money is guilty of “Destroying Money”.
29. Anyone who builds something that impairs one's ability to enjoy a vista or view is guilty of causing “Visual Pollution”.
30. Anyone who escapes or attempts to escape incarceration before their lawful removal is guilty of a “Prison Break”.
31. Anyone who fails to comply with the lawful orders of someone in authority is guilty of “Disobedience”.
Anyone who willingly refuses to surrender evidence to the authorities, or attempts to refuse entry to a scene of a suspected crime, is guilty of the “Obstruction of Justice”.
32. Anyone who builds any type of fortification or entrenchment without the Master of the Palace's permission is guilty of "Rebellion" and their constructions will be treated as "Illegal" and are therefore "Adulterine fortifications", which may be removed without further consent by the local enforcer of this Code.
33. Anyone who wrongfully accuses another person of committing a crime punishable by death is guilty of committing an “Attempted Murder” as well as “Perjury”.
PART VI
Exceptional Offences
34. A child is exempt from the punishments of all non-Capital Offences but instead will face parental or domestic corporal punishment. Except if that child is acting like an adult.
35. A person is not guilty of an offence if he has done bodily harm to his child, woman or subordinate as a means of discipline.
36. Members of the Armed Services are exempt from the Code but will instead following Military Law and see the Code as a model for justice and punishments will be decided before a military tribunal.
PART VII
Enforcement
37. The nobility in command of the land where the crime was suspected to be committed is to ensure the enforcement of the Code. And may appoint their own officials to enforce the Code.
38. The nobility in command of the land where the crime was suspected to be committed is the judge for the suspect's trial,
and have the power to appoint a judge in his or her stead. The judge must be fair and only bias towards fundamental justice.
39. There must be jail cells kept within each town or city with a charter. An offender sentenced to jail time is to be kept within a cell belonging to the community in which the crime was committed in until his or her sentence is met. If all the cells within the community are unavailable, the offender is to be kept in the nearest available cell.
40. A noble can request a public execution to be done in another Lord's land but if the request is denied, the offender is to be executed in the town or city in which the crime was committed in by default.
PART VIII
Types of Trials
41. The suspect has the right to chose how they will be tried.
42. “Trial by Oath Helping” is where both the Plaintiff and the Defendant must collect witnesses to produce the truth, the side that collects more witnesses must have told the truth, and all members of the losing side are guilty of perjury. This form of trial is only available for Civil Cases.
43. “Trial by Ordeal” is where the defendant is subjected to an unpleasant or dangerous experience in order for the defendant to confess the truth. Authorities cannot use excessive force that kills or leads to the death of the defendant.
44. “Trial by Combat” is where the Defendant and the Plaintiff settle a dispute through a judicial duel where the Creator will only allow the just to live and the guilty to die. If the Defendant is instead against the State, he will duel the guard that caught and accused him of violating the law. If the defendant is a woman, she must request for a man to fight on behalf of her.
Written by Jacques de Montfort,
Signed by the Ducal Council of Adria
Signed by Duke Franz Vladov