Law

2007-01-07T00:04:14Z

12.226.75.113: Info about "Merchant of Venace"

Any society is governed by laws that are set down so as to make life as organised and regimental as possible, in order that people can face each day knowing how the rest of the world is going to act... within reason.

In medieval [[England]] there were statute law -- the laws laid down by the King and Parliament -- and common law, which was based on [[custom]]. From the time of the Conquest on, the [[King]]'s justices sought out the different local practices regarding law and [[crime]], and, having distilled out those found to be unreasonable or impratical, created a uniform code which could be applied everywhere. To this, then, were added the [[statute]]s as made from time to time, which overrode the common law.

[[Lawyer]]s practise '''law''', the art of prosecuting and defending claims relating to an area's [[laws]] and offering advice on the said laws. Lawyers have been around for many millenia but in [[period]] they were trained in [[universities]]. Given the plot of [[Shakespeare]]'s [http://mydatapages.com/merchant_of_venice.html "Merchant of Venice"] and the character Portia, [[User:Cian|I]] suspect that it was mainly a male profession.

Acting contrary to law is a [[crime]].

==Law in the SCA==
The [[SCA]] has its own laws. Most are serious regulations for the safe and legal enjoyment of the game, and carry punishments for transgressing them, typically [[banishment]].

Other SCA laws are more lighthearted, particularly [[Kingdom]] laws; in the [[Kingdom of Ealdormere]] for example, [[coffee]] and [[chocolate]] are [[period by consensus|legally medieval]] by fiat of the Crown.

These range from laws on [[combat]], to definitions of [[award]]s, to [[banishment]]. There is a hierarchy of SCA laws such that laws on a higher level always supersede any laws established at a lower level. For instance, an [[mundane]] law set outside the Society takes precedance over any SCA-internal law.

SCA laws can be changed by different individuals and groups, depending on the law. Laws are mainly modified by the [[BoD]] and the [[Crown]].

Some [[tradition]]s in the SCA have been maintained for so long that they seem like laws.

Some SCA laws have been controversial, such as the [[Midrealm]]'s [[Ban on Regions]].
[[Period]] laws ranged from [[tax]]es to what [[sumptuary laws|colour]]s and [[fabric]]s you could wear.

=== The precedance of laws for Lochac ===
(based on the Senschal's webpage [http://www.sca.org.au/seneschal/index.php/standard/18 www.sca.org.au/seneschal/index.php])

* [[Australia]]n and [[New Zealand]] laws
* SA Associations Incorporation Act ([[Australia]]n State law)
* Constitution of the [[SCAA|SCA (Inc in South Australia)]]
* [[SCA]] - [[SCAA]] Operating Agreement (international franchising)
* [[SCAA]] Financial Policy
* [[Corpora]] of the [[SCA]] (which includes by-laws only valid in the USA)
* [[Seneschal]]'s Handbook (Society-wide)
* Administrative Handbook of the [[College of Arms]] (Society-wide)
* Society [[Chirurgeon]]'s Handbook (Society-wide)
* Armoured [[Combat]] Handbook (Society-wide)
* [[Rapier]] Combat Handbook (Society-wide)
* [[Archery]] Combat Handbook (Society-wide)
* [[Equestrian]] Handbook (Society-wide)
* [[Siege Engine]] Rules (Society-wide)
* Laws of the [[Kingdom]] of [[Lochac]]
* The Word of the [[Crown]]

[[Guild]]s also have internal laws defined by their [[charter]]. These are below any other laws, as are [[household]] laws.

Cunnan - User contributions [en]

Law