Basic Law [Training, private]

Hay'aan Benedict · July 22, 2008, 04:22 AM

Timestamp: 7th Brightening of Pontius, Era XV

Hay'aan had been in Demios for a few brightenings now. She was starting to get settled in to the place and to know the people. She was learning jewelcrafting from Viskyia, but she also wanted to learn many other things. So she had decided to learn Basic Law here at the Ivory Wings University. She fully intended to turn that into a Diploma by learning as many things as possible whilst here. Certainly, the bookish human loved learning and really enjoyed the thought of learning everything that she could.

So, on the appointed brightening she came into her class prepared. She had parchment and quills clutched in her hand. She was wearing a pair of loose white trousers and a white shirt which hid her slender form well but which suited her dark Arakmatan skin tone.

She went to the appointed room and sat, aware that she was ten minutes early, but Hay'aan would always rather be early than late. So she sat and waited and hoped that this was going to be interesting.

Whisper · July 24, 2008, 02:48 PM

A few other students trickled in after Hay'aan's entrance, making the total class number 15 or so. It was to be a small, intimate setting for the professor to conduct the course.

The teacher in question showed up soon enough. Hatford McGee, an old squat man with a brushy gray moustache, came in and gave the class a smile. "Serale, class," he said as he took off his thick winter cloak. "My name is Professor McGee. I take it that you are all here to learn Basic Law?" One girl, looking panicked, glanced down at her schedule and hurried out the door. The professor chortled. "Ah, we always have one of those. Well, now that we all know where we are supposed to be, let us begin.

"Why do you want to learn law? And your name, please." He asked of a young elven man in the front row.

"Erik Maeleron, sir. I grew up in a small town where there was no one to enforce the law, and the people suffered. I want to enforce justice as an officer of the law."

The professor smiled. "Very good. A noble cause. And you? And your name, as well." This was directed to Hay'aan. Professor McGee met her eyes with a warm smile.

Hay'aan Benedict · July 24, 2008, 04:38 PM

Hay'aan looked around at the others, briefly, but kept her head down for the majority of people's entrances. The young woman was bookish and rather shy, and so she found it hard to socialise with people, often finding herself stuttering or flustered when she met new people. The prospect of fifteen new people, including one who was a professor was enough to make the young woman nervous, but she persevered.

When the girl left the room, Hay'aan felt a flush tinge her cheeks on the young woman's behalf. She thought that just maybe she wouldn't have had the courage to do what that woman did, and that in fact she would have stayed there rather than scurry out. She turned her attention then to her classmate who was speaking, and she listened intently to him. So much so that she was not looking at Professor McGee when he spoke, although she turned to look at him as she realised that there was a pause.

"Oh.. I.. I am Hay'aan. And... I am learning law because... well, I believe that it is my responsibility to. Because in learning it I can pass my knowledge on and help others to ensure that they work within the law"

A long sentence from the young woman, but what she felt nonetheless. She hoped that this was the right answer, the one that Professor McGee wanted. She very much wanted her answer to be right.

Whisper · July 24, 2008, 04:57 PM

Professor McGee listened to the shy girl and nodded with approval. "Very good, Miss Hay'aan. There is no wrong or right answer to that question, but I do want to make sure that you are all here for a good reason. Then again... Anyone with bad intentions wouldn't really want to learn about the law, would he?" He chuckled to himself.

He opened up a large tome from his desk and began to write on the board. "The study of Basic Law focuses on the Code of Law, the Annarian Code. It was established by High Queen Anna the Strict. She was dedicated to the pursuit of justice, rightousness, and of course the law. The Code serves as a list of rights and responsibilities for all Aelyrian citizens. We are obligated to follow these rules, which are the foundation of the empire."

With a piece of chalk, he wrote the first code upon the board:

Quote:

1. The Sacred Three shall be Thine Primacy.

He turned around and looked at the class. "Now, this phrase isn't used nearly as often as it used to be, but can anyone tell me what the Sacred Three are?"

Hay'aan Benedict · July 24, 2008, 05:13 PM

The Sacred Three? Hay'aan's mind whirled slightly thinking about it. Three? There were no groups of three in her own people's mindset. Everything revolved around the five, not the three. She wondered whether the ideas of justice, righteousness and law were the three that he spoke of, but she rather suspected that they were not.

She looked at the others and when no one seemed to be answering, either, she felt rather bad for the poor man who was teaching them. She wondered what to do with that, how to deal with it and not make him feel bad. So she raised her hand tentatively and answered in what was blatently more of a question than an answer

"Are ... I mean, is the Sacred Three the three things that Queen Anne was focused on.. I mean, is it just another way of saying justice, righteousness and law?" she asked and then continued "I'm sorry, I've heard mention of them but I don't know what they are... there seems to be, in those I've heard say about them, an assumption that everyone knows what they are... so I was always a bit afraid to ask"

On her parchment, she wrote

Annarian Code: The Code of Law. List of rights and responsibilities . Foundation of the Empire, or its laws???..... ??? Rights and responsibilities???

Written by High Queen Anne - The Strict ??? Why "the Strict"???? She pursued Justice, Righteousness and Law
So did she found the Empire, then?

THE CODE:
1. THE SACRED THREE SHALL BE THINE PRIMACY
These three are: -

Whisper · July 26, 2008, 01:03 AM

Professor McGee smiled at Hay'aan, grateful that she had spoken up since none of the other students would. "Good guess, miss. you're actually very close. The Sacred Three are Law, Order, and Justice." He wrote these on the board as well. "This first code tells us that we must uphold the Sacred Three in the pursuit of everyday life to maintain both local and larger justice."

He looked around for any questions that the class might have. If there were none, or when he was done answering them, he would continue with the next code:

Quote:

2. Swear Fealty to Aelyria.

"Fealty, for those who do not know what it means, is another way of saying devotion or faithfulness." He said it not in a condescending tone, but with the air of a teacher who wanted to make sure his students were understanding all that he was saying. "As citizens, we have an obligation to obey the orders of our superiors in the law, such as thanes and prefects, in exchange for the protection that they maintain for us.

"But it isn't always that easy, is it? Sometimes there is someone who isn't willing to keep the bargain, whether they be lawbreakers or corrupt officials. Some have trouble simply obeying without question the whims of a lawmaker he has never met. What should we as individuals, or those who hold the power, do to stop this?"

Hay'aan Benedict · July 26, 2008, 01:40 PM

"Law, Order and Justice" she murmered as she wrote it down on her parchment, her face a mask of concentration. Then, she raised a hand as she finished scribbling down. "I'm sorry, Professor, but does that mean that since Law is distinct from Order and Justice, that one of those is more... well..." she flushed and felt a wave of shyness come over her, wishing that she was more confident, but she needed to know this, to be clear, and it was the way of her people to ask, to question. So little was written down by them, all passed on by word of mouth. "Well, which one is most important, when faced with a situation where the law is unjust, what do you do?" she asked, frowning slightly as she considered the question herself.

After he had answered, she wrote down notes on what he was saying regarding the second code and she considered his question. She waited to see what, if anything, her classmates said and then gave her own answer, unless one of them said the same as her. She raised her hand again and answered "Well, that depends on what role we are in, doesn't it? If I decide to take action against lawbreakers, I become a vigilante and a lawbreaker myself. If I wish to take action, then I should join the guard, or something, like Erik here is planning on doing. If I witness a crime, then shouldn't I call the guard? But... if I had the authority to make a change, then I should be changing things in accordance with the sacred three?" she said, her last one more of a question than an answer, wondering if that was what he meant. Those in power, what they could do was affect a change, surely, she considered. That should be what they did at least, whether it was the actuality was another matter entirely.

Secrets :

Whisper · July 31, 2008, 03:29 AM

The professor smiled. Questions meant that his students were interested in learning, and engaged in the material. He was glad that Hay'aan, at least, was paying enough attention that she was questioning what he was telling them, and not just taking it all for granted like a blind sheep.

"Good question! I'm glad to see that you're thinking.

"The way that I have always viewed it is that the Sacred Three balance each other. When the law is unjust, it must be corrected. When justice is not accompanied by order--like when a city's sheriffs simply lock all the criminals in the gaol to keep them off the streets--order must be maintained. And when order is unlawful--for example, if a tyrant holds all the power--lawfulness should govern that order. And so on. Does that make sense? None of the Sacred Three should dominate over the rest; they should all keep each other in check, balancing and being balanced by the others."

Turning to her answer to his question about the second code, he continued, "Exactly right. Those who disregard the law to punish those who have done similarly are, in the law's eyes, unforgivable. Vigilantes often go out of control and harm those who are innocent, or those who they deem sinful. There is a reason that prefects must undergo such rigorous tests... They must be well-equipped to make difficult decisions. Well, most prefects, anyway. From what I've heard about our new prefect, he failed his Basic Law class!" He laughed. "At least all of you will have that over him, eh? Maybe some brightening, one of you will challenge him to that position!"

Getting back to the matter at hand, he came back to Hay'aan's response. "Yes. If you do have the authority to make a change--say, if you become prefect or thane--you should absolutely follow the Sacred Three, and the rest of the codes as well.

"Any more questions?" He looked around the room, book and chalk in hand should they all be ready to continue.

Hay'aan Benedict · August 6, 2008, 11:43 AM

That he did not mind questions was something that really delighted Hay'aan. She considered his answer and nodded, understanding beginning to dawn in her with regards to what the Sacred Three meant. She made a number of notes on her parchment and smiled at the Professor "Thank you, that makes things much clearer!" she said, as she wrote.

She made copious notes on his words and when he asked if there were any other questions, she shook her head and merely checked her notes to make sure that they made sense. She was happy that they did make sense and she waited to hear if any of her classmates had any thoughts or questions.

Secrets :

ooc: sorry for the short post, but thought that I'd better give another classmate the chance to say something!

Whisper · August 14, 2008, 07:37 PM

The rest of the class were tight-lipped after Hay'aan's all-star answers (

) so Professor McGee moved on.

Quote:

3. Take Not What Is Not Thine.

"I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but each of these codes might appear to be simpler than they really are. For example, what constitutes ownership? A deed? A certificate?"

"Not necessarily," said a girl who hadn't spoken before. "Although there are certificates for large purchases like deeds and ships, most people don't keep receipts of every small thing they buy. And what about children? They have birth certificates and visas, but that wouldn't stop a kidnapper from taking the child if a deed is all the proof required for ownership."

"And what about less material ownerships?" This came from Erik, who had spoken earlier. "Such as taking a life, or someone's virginity, or honor?"

The professor nodded. "Exactly right, both of you. Most of the time, this code serves to return what has been stolen to its rightful owner, using any means of ownership that the owner might produce. It may be material, like a sheet of paper, or less so. It is up to the prosecutor to use this code to his client's advantage, to prove that the criminal took something which did not belong to him.

"Other questions, or interpretations of this code?"

Hay'aan Benedict · August 15, 2008, 02:21 PM

"It means that slavery is, or should be illegal"Hay'aan spoke quietly from her seat. "Because the one thing that everyone owns and which no one else has a right to take is freedom. But that isn't always true, is it? This only applies to those who are citizens? So... is the same thing true of the Sacred Three? Should the Annarian Code only be applied to those who are citizens, or should the Sacred Three be applied at all times and to all people?"

She looked at Professor McGee with interset, wondering what his response would be. Of course, this was of personal interest to her, as she was a barbari herself, but her Visa was well forged and she had no intention of letting that on. She watched him carefully as she elucidated on her question

"It just seems to me" she continued "That this section runs the risk of being a tool, rather than a rule to live by. If it becomes the tool of the prosecutor, then it is surely only ever being reactive.. reacting to something, rather than being proactive and ensuring that people and their property, their rights... ensuring that they are kept."

She shrugged slightly, sighing "I mean... the thing that we all own are our rights... we all own those, surely? And any crime is taking away something that isn't yours... another person's rights?"

She stopped then, aware that she was talking a lot and she lapsed into silence as she scribbled her notes and waited for the Professor.

Secrets :

Whisper · August 21, 2008, 02:56 AM

"Although other lands and kingdoms have their own rules protecting the rights of their citizens, it's true that only Aelyrian citizens are protected by the Annarian Code. It is up to each individual to decide how he or she will act... Will you only let your morals and thirst for righteousness extend to citizens of the Empire, or will your kindness extend to all beings of Telath? The Annarian Code dictates that each Aelyrian citizen deserves these rights, and non-citizens who make Aelyria their home must rely on the kindness of others to get by." He smiled at Hay'aan. Not wanting to try and persuade his students to act one way or another, he tried to remain as unbiased as possible. But judging from the kind look in his eyes, Professor McGee didn't seem like the kind of person who would go out of his way to purposefully be insulting and unjust to someone just because of their citizenship or lack thereof.

"Yes, each individual owns his or her own rights... That's why they're called such. It's true that many crimes are some variation on violating someone's rights, or taking something unjustly. In a courtroom, it's up to a judge to decide whether a person's rights have been violated, so a student of the law must make a good case for the person's possession of those rights and the way in which they have been broken.

"Does that make sense? It's a bit complicated, the issue of non-citizens... But surely something to keep in mind. There are more outlanders among us than most people are aware of." The professor cleared his throat carefully.

Hay'aan Benedict · August 25, 2008, 06:27 PM

Hay'aan smiled and nodded, considering that she understood Professor McGee's words, at least a little, and perhaps his unspoken words more than that. But still, she avidly took notes and listened to his words.

"So, what happens in the case of a slave, then?" she asked, frowning, chewing the end of her quill as she did so "I mean... they have had their rights taken from them, but how can that be so? If... if those rights weren't there to begin with, in a way, or if there is simply something that means that they must rely on law. If someone were to be a slave, for example, how could they become free? I... I have heard that it is only through the action of one's 'owner' giving one freedom to ask for citizenship.. where does the law stand on that, exactly?"

This was not something that she had come across, exactly, but it was important to her - the thought of another taking someone's freedom was abhorrent to the young human and she wondered quite how it was that people could accept this in themselves. But she wanted to know where the law stood on such things, where it stood should someone wish to enslave her and what her rights were... or more importantly, were not.