The Judiciary

The enforcement of laws is the particular responsibility of the High Sheriff, and to local Sheriffs and constables. However, any Citizen may, with good reason, charge another with having broken a law.

There is no distinct line between a civil and criminal offence, and torts fall into the two main categories like any other crime, i.e., grave (a felony) or mundane (a misdemeanour).

There is also a deep moral tinge to the justice system; repentance, restitution, and rehabilitation are more important than punishment for its own sake. The nature of the society, however, makes crimes of any sort exceptionally rare.

Trials are initially conducted at the Shire-level, but appeals may be made through intermediary levels up to the Supreme Court of Novaltia, to which has been delegated (by statute) virtually all of the judicial powers of the Sovereign. It is comprised of a Lord Chief Justice, and Associate Justices, who have one vote each, and must carefully justify their votes in written opinions regarding the specific applications of law and custom to their particular decisions. Since Novaltia enjoys a common law legal system, this means that the cumulative force of such decisions informally directs national jurisprudence.

When a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurs, Justice candidates are nominated by the Government (namely the Privy Council), then approved by the whole of Parliament, after which they are then formally appointed by the Sovereign, to serve at His pleasure, which is typically for life.

They are commanded to be carefully non-partisan, just, and good stewards of Novaltic traditions. The Court technically has no executive power whatever, and therefore merely advises the Sovereign to issue a writ to accomplish the effect of its will, which He does as a matter of pure procedure; this step, however, has the advantage of providing a de facto opportunity for appeal to the Sovereign, whereby He may, in extraordinary circumstances, implicitly veto the Court. This provides a useful and practical check on the power of the judiciary.