The Laws of the Land

Shirithian laws and regulations are a complex, interconnected and occasionally rather tangled affair. The most important parts of it are the Imperial Charter, the Imperial Decrees, and the LawBook.

The Imperial Charter

The Imperial Charter sets down the most fundamental written law of Shireroth. It defines the powers of the Kaiser, the Landsraad, the Praetor and the Arbiter. The Imperial Charter is the only law of the land that's above even the will of the Kaiser - however, the Kaiser may overturn and replace the Charter at will, so this is not exactly a check on zir power.

Even the Imperial Charter is generally considered secondary to the will of the Gods and their Prophet.

The Imperial Decrees

The Imperial Decrees are the law laid down by the Kaisers of Shireroth. Those decrees that set down permanent laws are collected in a more convenient form in the DecreeBook. Being the word of the Kaiser, imperial decrees have precedence over the lawbook. The Kaiser can always revoke any earlier decree.

The LawBook

The LawBook consists of the laws and regulations laid down by the Landsraad. It is the largest body of Shirithian law.

Ministerial Directives

Ministerial directives are a very rarely used form of legislation that allows the executive branch to set down regulations in an official-sounding way. The only one immediately findable that still seems to hold is MiniImNat's directive 002.

Subdivision law

While each subdivision is technically allowed to determine how it governs itself, the feudal system favors the nobles and does not question the supremacy of the ruling noble of each fiefdom. Traditionally subdivisions govern themselves by means of local decrees appropriate for the subdivision's status (ducal decree, baronial decree, etc.)