Administration of the Law
Arrests are usually made by the Threshers (military police), although Molvar, Polvar and Falwur have a civilian police force (the Lower Watch) that has the power to make arrests as well. There is no such thing as a "citizen's arrest" in Ket--civilians do not have the power to arrest anyone for any crime, even during the commission of the crime. A Jurat or a Thresher can deputize a civilian to arrest someone, but only after presentation and consideration of compelling evidence.
      For minor crimes, Threshers are able to immediately investigate the crime and interview witnesses. For major crimes, the accused is turned over to a Jurat, who is then responsible for leading the investigation. During the investigation, the jurat may use Threshers to do the legwork, or the Jurat may occasionally deputize civilians.
      For minor crimes, Threshers have the power to judge and convict on the spot. For major crimes, the accused must be brought before a formal court hearing before a Jurat and two mullahs.

Punishment
There are four types of punishment:

  1. A fine. This is reserved for minor crimes that involve property or money, such as theft or tax evasion. Often restitution to the victim is added to the fine. If the guilty person is unable to pay the fine, the court will indenture the guilty party to a Citizen as an ushdar.
  2. The stocks. Every village, hamlet, town and city has a public square where those sentenced to time in the stocks will be seen by the Citizenry--thus humiliation will be added to dishonour. Time in the stocks can range from a few hours to many weeks or even months.
  3. The mines. Those convicted of serious crimes are sentenced to work in the copper mines of the Yatil Mountains. Life is hard in the mines. Although qashari are fed enough to meet their daily dietary requirements, nobody in the mines is overweight. Conditions are hot and dangerous, and the work of chipping ore out of the bedrock is done by pickaxe and shovel. Accidents are frequent and often fatal. The lifespan of a qashar is short. A "light" sentence of a few years in the mines is generally the same as a life sentence--few qashari survive more than two years. Even if a qashar is lucky enough to survive, he comes out of the mines a man broken in spirit and body. Former qashari generally spend the rest of their lives eking out an existance amongst the dregs of Ketite society.
  4. Execution. This is reserved for the most serious crimes: crimes against the Beygraf (that is, against the state of Ket), treason, or theft of the Beygraf's property.

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