Romulan Judicial System

Basic Rights of the Citizen

The Romulan Star Empire grants its citizens the following basic honourable freedoms:

1. The right of procreation.

2. The right to own property and to manage it as necessary. (Slavery and owner’s right to discipline)

3. The right to commit honorable suicide.

4. The right to commerce, subject to the needs of the Empire.

5. The right to present a defense in a publicly recorded trial, aside a public defender, before the tribunal.

6. The right to apprehend and charge as a private citizen, any criminal or enemy of the empire.

7. The right to bear arms, for defense or sign of status, in public and in private.

To be a citizen one must be of Vulcanoid descent. This includes Romulan half bloods and Vulcans. Aliens with no Rihannsu blood living in the Empire (around 8% of the total population), the status of second rate citizen (no rights, but protection of life by the Empire) is their best attainable post, and slavery (no rights) their worst.

The Romulan Empire strictly prohibits its citizens the following actions:

1. The bearing of beam or projectile weapons specified in the 2401 Trinity agreement, unless directed by enlistment or government decree.

2. Any action deemed to be against the interest of the Empire.

3. Public dissension with the ideals of the Romulans.

4. Publishing or distributing materials deemed in opposition to the interest of the Empire.

Criminal Procedure

Each Romulan court case is presided over by a tribunal of three judges drawn from the Upper Senate. A defendant may represent himself or choose to be represented by another person; ideally this will be the Auethenen (Advisor) of the defendant's own House.

Justice is based on the assumption that the defendant is guilty until proven otherwise.

The criminal procedure is straightforward:

1. The victim may either contact the authorities, or apprehend the suspect on his own.

2. Any and all necessary actions may be taken in the apprehension of the suspect, including the use of deadly force. However, If a suspect is killed and later determined to be innocent, the killer shall be put on trial for murder, regardless of circumstance. This does not apply to members of the Tal Shiar whilst enforcing Imperial law.

3. Upon apprehension or death of the suspect, a notice of apprehension and trial date must be immediately posted. All trial dates must be within 1 week of apprehension, for late justice is no justice.

4. Apprehended suspects must make a full and complete confession of the truth of the situation. There is no right to counsel before the trial itself.

5. At the trial, the suspect and the plaintiff, or their chosen representatives, confront each other and detail their respective cases to the tribunal. The suspect is under the onus to prove his or her innocence.

6. The tribunal delivers its decision and sentences the suspect if guilty. If the suspect is innocent, the plaintiff may be subject to penalty.

7. Punishment is administered immediately. There is no right of appeal, though a condemned prisoner has the right to officially make a statement regarding his innocence.