Primer: Law and Justice

[GhostWolfe]

Source: SIFRP Campaign Guide

Lords are not required to follow particular laws when making their judgements; their word is law. These rights are limited, in that they only apply on the lands held by the lord. If a criminal flees to the lands of another lord, he is, in theory, safe.

Execution is a very common punishment, typically hanging or beheading. Fines are only common when the criminal is wealthy, but they are very popular in those cases. Members of the nobility who commit crimes are likely to face no punishment (if the victim was one of the smallfolk), a fine, or execution if the crime was very serious.

Flogging is a more common punishment for members of the lower social classes, and the severity of the flogging can be determined by both the number of strokes and the nature of the whip. Imprisonment is not a common means of punishment, but it is a common way to hold people for trial or for ransom.

Because lords have complete discretion in making judgements, they can choose to pardon anyone who commits a crime within their jurisdiction. Similarly, a lord can pardon anyone condemned by one of his vassals. A few lords pardon criminals on compassionate grounds, but the overwhelming majority of pardons are offered for political reasons.