Text:Charges Act
Mechanisms to bring charges
In order for someone to bring charges against a person in a ceticilian court -
- The defendant and plaintiff must both be ceticilian citizens.
- The plaintiff must notify a sitting judge of their intent to bring charges, that judge would then be permitted to try the case assuming no conflicts of interest exist.
- In their notification the plaintiff must indicate the citizen charges are being brought against and the offence that charges are being brought under.
Requirements placed on MERI
This act requires the MERI to institute a system by which markers can be placed against a persons name as required by the offence of bringing harrasing charges, this database must be open to all siting judges.
Non referenda appeals
If someone wishes to appeal their sentance they must notify a sitting judge of their intention to appeal. This notification should include the charge they were convicted under, sufficient information to find the case they were tried in and The details of their sentance. The notified judge is then obligated to hear the appeal unless the appeal is definitavely vexatious. if an appeal is deamed vexatious then the person is entitled to appeal to a higher judge or the people, the people or higher judge would then be permitted to force the original judge to hear the case.
Offences
Blocking a mechanism to bring charges or appeal a sentance
To commit the offence of blocking a mechanism to bring charges or appeal a sentance one must Interfear with another person bringing valid charges against a ceticilian citizen or appealing their sentance, whether or not their appeal is valid, reasonably deeming an appeal as vexatious does not meet this charge.
A person convicted of the offence of Blocking a mechanism to bring charges or appeal a sentance must be sentanced to a complete bar from serving in the judiciary except as a lay-citizen voting in appelate referenda for a period not exceding 3 months.
Bringing harrassing charges
To commit the offence of Bringing harrassing charges one A must -
- bring multiple charges against another B with the intention of harrassing them as opposed to having a fair trial, these charges should -
- Have limited or no legal ground.
- Have limited or no evidence for them.
A person convicted of the offence of Bringing harrassing charges should have a marker placed against their name that would require any charges they want to bring against B to be brought by a proxy that can test if the charges A wishes to bring are vexatious. This marker should remain against their name in the MERI database for as long as is decided by the judiciary up to and including forever.
Double jeopardy
A person may not be tried for the same crime more than twice.