Lendosan Confederation

.

CRIMES

.
This page is intended to list many of the most prominent crimes which a person may be charged with under Lendosan law. This list is not exhaustive, however, and other crimes exist. Also, these descriptions are intended to serve as a rough indication of that crime's scope, not as an authorative legal definition.
The page is divided into sections, listing crimes against the state, against society, against people, against property, and against the legal system. Some crimes are listed under multiple categories. There is also a section listing things that are not crimes, despite what people from other countries sometimes assume.

The State

Bribery
Bribery is the crime of attempting to influence an official decision (that is, a decision made by a person holding authority in a government, police, or judiciary) by means of gifts, whether those gifts be money, objects, favours, or other things deemed to be of value. Bribery does not require that gifts are actually given - the promise or implied promise is sufficent.
Corruption
Corruption is defined in Lendosa as being the misuse of power granted to one by the government, a government agency, a corporation, or an association, usually with the intent of securing a gain for the perpetrator or his/her allies or friends. Any official who accepts a bribe (see above) is automatically guilty of the crime of Corruption.
Desertion
The crime of Desertion is defined as being the abandonment of a duty legally assigned to a person by the government without appropriate authorization. Unlike in some countries, Lendosan law uses this term for civil positions as well as military ones.
Espionage (also classified under "People" and "Property")
Lendosan law defines the crime of Espionage in somewahat broader terms than are used elsewhere. Specifically, the Lendosan legal system considers Espionage to be the accessing or acquisition of information which its owners have legally kept confidential. There are three types of Espionage (in increasing order of seriousness): Espionage against Citizens, Espionage against Corporations, and Espionage against Government. It should be noted that the Lendosan government does not consider espionage against the state to be morally wrong, and engages in the practice itself. The legal prohibition of espionage against Lendosa exists merely to serve the national interest, and Lendosa fully expects other states to adopt similar measures against its own agents.
Insecularity (also classified under "Society")
The crime of Insecularity is defined as the use of a position of authority to promote or to sustain a religious belief. This position of authority may be any government office, any position within a corporation, or any position within a legally recognized association which has not made an official declaration of its religous character. The penalties for insecularity vary depending on the position held - members of associations or officers of companies generally receive light penalties, but any government employee who uses their position to promote or sustain religion will be punished harshly. This includes elected representatives.
Mutiny
Mutiny is defined by Lendosan law as being the deliberate act by a member of the armed forces of disobeying a legitimate order given by a duly authorized officer, or any attempt by such a person to undermine such an order.
Perjury (also classified under "Legal System")
Under Lendosan definitions (which are somewhat different to those in many other countries), Perjury is the act of lying to the government, particularly (but not necessarily) a court of law. In some cases, it also includes the refusal to provide information to the government.
Rebellion
Rebellion consists of armed resistance to legitimate governmental authority, whether by resisting legal government actions, by attempting to force the government to change a legally-taken decision, or to remove the government from a region or from power altogether. Unlike the crime of Treason, a person does not need to have taken a pledge of allegiance to be guilty of rebellion. Compare with Subversion, which is identical to Rebellion except that it does not involve armed force.
Sedition
The crime of Sedition is simply the incitement or encouragement of the crimes of Treason, Rebellion, or Subversion. Advocating violence against the government is considered to be Sedition (actually using violence, however, is considered Rebellion, although Rebellion may include Sedition as well).
Subversion
Subversion, according to Lendosan terminology, is the undermining of state power in resistance to legitimate government authority, whether by resisting legal government actions, by attempting to force the government to change a legally-taken decision, or to remove the government from a region or from power altogether. Unlike the crime of Treason, a person does not need to have taken a pledge of allegiance to be guilty of rebellion. Compare with Rebellion, which is identical except that Rebellion involves the use of armed force.
Treason
The crime of Treason consists of any act that is committed primarily to work against the interests of the state, and which is committed by one who has sworn allegiance to the state. Pledges of allegiance are taken by those who are considered to be in service to the state (government officials, politicians, police, military personnel, and so forth), and not by ordinary citizens, and so charges of Treason may only be brought against state officials. Ordinary citizens may still be charged with Rebellion or Sedition, however.
Usurpation
In terms of Lendosan law, Usurpation is described as being the attempt to excercise official power which one has not lawfully been given. Often, this is accompanied by the Forgery of an official document, particularly an official permit for something - by creating a false order, one is essenttially attempting to issue an official declaration without appropriate right. In its extreme, Usurpation would cover the seizure of public office by illegal means (use of force, use of electoral fraud, and so forth).

Society

Dangerous Driving
The crime of Dangerous Driving applies to people who drive a motor vehicle in such a way as to present a danger to people and property. The most obvious cause of a Dangerous Driving charge is driving while under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, but plain reckless driving is also grounds for prosecution.
Discrimination
The crime of Discrimination is defined as being unjust and unreasonable hostility towards a person or persons on certain grounds (or, an unjust and unreasonable preference towards a person or people on certain grounds). The grounds that form part of the crime of Discrimination include (but are not limited to) a person's race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and appearance. Note that although Racism and Sexism exist as separate crimes (see below), they do not overlap with Discrimination. While the crime of Discrimination must involve an act that is a tangible application of prejudice, the crimes of Racism and Sexism merely require the expression of prejudiced views. Therefore, if a person makes a public statement condemning a particular race, they will be guilty of Racism, but not of Discrimination. If, on the other hand, a person refuses to employ someone on the grounds of race, they will be guilty of both Discrimination (for the act) and Racism (for expresssing the thought behind the act).
Hunting
The crime of Hunting is described as being the act of capturing or killing an animal (including birds and fish) for purposes of sport or recreation. This applies to all animals, including any owned by the hunter.
Inebriation
Inebriation (also called Intoxication or Drunkenness) is the crime of having consumed enough alcohol as to hinder or impair rational thought. The degree of inebriation is measured by the level of alcohol in one's blood, although breath testing is used as an approximate check. The exact quantity of alcohol which is permissible varies, but consumption of alcohol in small quantities is not counted as a crime. There is a subclassification within the crime of Inebriation which covers activities such as driving while intoxicated. It generally brings far more severe penalties than does the regular charge. Naturally, it is unrealistic to expect all incidents of inebriation to be detected and punished. Enforcement of this law is intended to act as a deterrant, not as a realistic means of eliminating drunkenness.
Insecularity (also classified under "State")
The crime of Insecularity is defined as the use of a position of authority to promote or to sustain a religious belief. This position of authority may be any government office, any position within a corporation, or any position within a legally recognized association which has not made an official declaration of its religous character. The penalties for insecularity vary depending on the position held - members of associations or officers of companies generally receive light penalties, but any government employee who uses their position to promote or sustain religion will be punished harshly. This includes elected representatives.
Possession of Illegal Drugs
Certain drugs, such as marijuana and cannabis, are illegal for possession or use in Lendosa, and those who break this rule are guilty of the crime of Possession of Illegal Drugs.
Possession of Illegal Pornography
Some sorts of pornography, such as that which involves minors, is strictly illegal in Lendosa, and possession or distribution of it will result in this charge being laid. Note that "ordinary" pornography is not illegal, although must be kept discreet.
Possession of Weapons
The crime of Possession of Weapons consists in the unauthorised possession or ownership of any item intended to be used as a weapon. Items which can be used as weapons, but which do not have that function as their primary aim, are not included. The only people authorised to possess weapons in Lendosa are certain government agents and licensed security guards - weapon ownership by private citizens is prohibited, and anyone found possessing a weapon will be presumed to be using it to criminal ends.
Racism
The crime of Racism is defined as being the instance of expressing or acting upon views which are based on incorrect and unjustifiable beliefs about race or ethnicity. This includes actions based on a false belief both in a race's inferiority and in a race's superiority. Distribution of racist material is also included in this crime. A charge of Racism may be accompanied by a charge of Discrimination.
Rioting
The crime of Rioting is defined as participating in public acts of violence and disturbance which are disorderly and present a danger to people or to property. It is necessary that these acts must be committed in a group, rather than by a solitary individual, for a charge of Rioting to apply - if the person was not accompanied by similarly-minded individuals in their crimes, they are not guilty of Rioting. Instead, they will be charged only with those offences which they committed for themselves, and no collective responsibility can be implied.
Sexism
With a similar definition to that of Racism, the crime of Sexism is defined as being the instance of expressing or acting upon views which are based on incorrect and unjustifiable beliefs about gender. A charge of Sexism can sometimes be accompanied by a charge of Discrimination.
Smoking in Public
The crime of Smoking in Public is applied to those who smoke tobacco in any public place, including shops, restaurants, bars, and the street. Like the crime of Inebriation, the crime of Smoking in Public cannot realistically be enforced everywhere, but punishments for committing the crime are high enough for it to be a deterrent.
Spamming
The crime of Spamming is the sending of large quantities of unsolicited email. It usually applies to commercial email, but can also include political, religious, or other messages. The provision of a means by which people may "unsubscribe" to spam does not mitigate the crime. It is also not permitted to treat acceptance of another service, such as registration at a website or purchase of a product, as permission to send spam.
Terrorism
Under Lendosan legal terminology, the crime of Terrorism is defined as being the unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing society or the government into an action or policy. The charge of Terrorism is usually made alongside another charge, such as Murder, Assault, and Rebellion.
Unsolicited Proselytising
In Lendosan law, the crime of Unsolicited Proselytising is defined as the attempt to change the religious or spiritual beliefs or values of another person without that person's full and free consent. That is, unless a person has requested such an attempt, it is illegal to deliberately present religious beliefs in such a way as to convince that person of their validity. Merely stating religious beliefs, without any deliberate attempt to change another person's views in the process, is not illegal, however, unless it falls under the definition of Insecularity (see above).

People

Abduction
In Lendosan law, Abduction means the unlawful seizure, removal, detention or confinement of a person against that person's will, regardless of the purpose of such an act.
Assault
Assault is defined by the Lendosan government as causing or attempting to cause serious physical injury to another person. It is often presented in accompaniment with other violent crimes. It is, of course, not applicable when the physical harm in necessary for purposes such as medical assistance, or where reasonable force is used for self-defence or protection of property.
Espionage (also classified under "State" and "Property")
Lendosan law defines the crime of Espionage in somewahat broader terms than are used elsewhere. Specifically, the Lendosan legal system considers Espionage to be accessing information which its owners are legally entitiled to keep confidential. There are three types of Espionage (in increasing order of seriousness): Espionage against Citizens, Espionage against Corporations, and Espionage against Government.
Libel
Lendosan law defines Libel as being the act of making demonstrably untrue or misleading statements, knowing that they are such, which are likely to significantly damage the interests or reputation of another person. Unlike the legal systems of some countries, Lendosan law makes no distinction between libel and slander.
Murder
Murder in the Lendosan Confederation is defined as the deliberate killing of another person, or the killing of another person due to recklessness or severe negligence. It includes the crime known in other countries as "manslaughter". There are three different types of murder that the Lendosan Confederation distinguishes between: these are detailed below.
The first, Unprovoked Murder, refers to deliberate murder committed either for no reason or for reasons of personal gain, without anything having been done by the victim to instil murderous intent. An example of an Unprovoked Murder would be one which is committed in order to steal something possessed or guarded by the victim, but where there is no personal hostility on the part of the thief - the crime is committed simply for the gain of the criminal. This type of murder is generally dealt with using the most severity.
The second, Provoked Murder, is committed primarily in response to actions taken by the victim (even if those actions were not wrong). For example, if a person discovered that their spouse was being disloyal, and killed the spouse or the spouse's lover in anger, their crime would be considered Provoked Murder. The fact that a murder was provoked does not necessarily being about a lesser sentence, although should it be decided that the provocation serves as a mitigating circumstance, this may in fact be the case. (Note: This is equivalent to the crime of Voluntary Manslaughter in some countries).
The third, Unintentional Murder, is a situation where a person dies as a result of deliberate actions by another, but where the deliberate actions were not intended to result in death. Usually, this refers to a situation where somebody has behaved in a reckless or negligent manner, performing an act which, while not intended to kill, has a significant chance of resulting in death, and which can reasonably be recognized as such. An example of Unintentional Murder would be a death caused by a drunk driver - the driver did not intend to kill a person, but by choosing to drive an automobile while in a state of intoxication, the driver performed an act which posed an severe risk to others. (Note: This is equivalent to the crime of Involuntary Manslaughter in some countries).
Rape
This crime is defined as being forcible sexual activity with a person against that person's will. This includes crimes which, in some countries, would be thought of as the lesser crime of sexual assault. Consent obtained by force or threat of force is not considered to be genuine consent. Punishments are very severe.
Slavery
The crime of Slavery is defined as being a unlawful detention of a person for the purposes of obtaining work or another service. It does not include kidnapping for purposes such as ransoming, which comes under Abduction. The "traditional" form of slavery is essentially non-existent in modern Lendosa, but the charge can still be applied to those who use illegal coercion (whether physical, financial, legal, or psychological) to prevent someone leaving a job. It is most commonly applied to employers of illegal immigrants, who sometimes exploit the immigrants' fear of discovery to impose atrocious working conditions and minimal pay.
Torture
In Lendosan law, the crime of Torture is defined as the infliction of severe physical pain upon another person, or the infliction of severe psychological hardship upon another person, where not unavoidable. Things as emergency medical procedures necessary to save a person's life, while they may qualify as severely painful, are obviously not considered Torture.

Property

Arson
The term Arson, when used in Lendosan law, takes a slightly wider definition than is true for common usage in other countries, and consists of any deliberate attempt to cause serious destruction to buildings or structures belonging to another person. (In most places, the term "arson" is limited to damage by burning, but Lendosan law does not specify a method). Compare with the crime of Vandalism, which is used for property not classified as a building or structure.
Burglary
The definition of Burglary in Lendosan law is somewhat more general than in most countries' common usage. In Lendosa, it is defined as the unlawful and unauthorized entry into a building (as opposed to the definition used in many other countries, which requires that the entry be for the purposes of committing a crime, particularly theft).
Espionage (also classified under "State" and "People")
Lendosan law defines the crime of Espionage in somewahat broader terms than are used elsewhere. Specifically, the Lendosan legal system considers Espionage to be accessing information which its owners are legally entitiled to keep confidential. There are three types of Espionage (in increasing order of seriousness): Espionage against Citizens, Espionage against Corporations, and Espionage against Government.
Extortion
Extortion is defined as being the theft of property (particularly wealth) by non-violent compulsion (theft by violent compulsion is considered Robbery, while theft by stealth is considered Larceny). The best example of Extortion would be blackmail, where a person is not threatened by violence, but nevertheless is threatened for some form of gain.
Forgery
The crime of Forgery is defined by Lendosan law to consist of the creation of a false and non-genuine item, intended to be mistaken as true, when the purpose of such an act is to secure unfair or unlawful gain. This generally concerns falsification of documents, but it can just as easily be applied to anything else (jewelery or banknotes, for example). The crime of Forgery often accompanies the crime of Fraud (see below).
Fraud
Fraud is defined in Lendosan law as a deliberate deception made in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain. Note that theft by stealth (ie, theft acheived simply through non-detection) is not deemed to involve deception, instead coming under the crime of Larceny.
Gambling
Gambling is regarded by Lendosan law as being the act of wagering money or property on an uncertain outcome in an organized fashion. Note that a simple wager between two people without any organized structure and without repeated occurances is not considered to be gambling - the primary purpose of Lendosa's anti-gambling laws is to outlaw casinos, not to ban personal bets.
Hacking
This is defined in Lendosan law as being the act of remotely accessing a computer or electronic device without the permission of the owner. The purpose of such an act is not considered important - any additional charges will be dealt with under other crimes.
Robbery
Robbery is defined by Lendosan law as the theft of property by means of force (or threat of it). Any case of theft in which a person other than the thief is injured due to the thief's actions automatically becomes an instance of Robbery (and also of Assault). Compare with Larceny (theft by stealth) and Fraud (theft by deception).
Smuggling
The Lendosan legal system defines Smuggling as conducting or facilitating illegal transport into or out of the Lendosan Confederation. Generally, this refers to the movement of goods that are prohibited, or to the movement of goods in such a way as to avoid the required scrutiny. Particularly in modern times, it can include the smuggling of illegal immigrants.
Trespass
In Lendosan law, the term Trespass is defined as meaning a wrongful interference with the lands and property of another person. The most common invocation of this law is against people who have gone onto the land of a person without permission to do so, particularly the lands of a residence. Should one actually enter a residence proper, changes of Burglary also apply.
Usury
Usury is defined by Lendosan law as the lending of money with an interest rate above a certain state-set limit. The actual limit used varies depending upon which Confederate member nation the loan is made in, one of the rare examples of Confederate law varying across the union. In all cases, however, the limit is fairly high - the law is intended to prevent unscrupullous lenders from exploting desperate or ill-informed people, not to prevent legitimate collection of interest by banks and financiers.
Vandalism
Vandalism is defined by Lendosan law as the causing of damage to the chattels of another person. It is punished more severely in Lendosa than in many other countries.

Legal System

Barratry
The crime of Barratry is defined as the groundless or frivolous invocation of law or the legal process, particularly (but not necessarily) with the intent to harrass. Anyone who is deemed to have initiated legal proceedings in the knowledge that no case existed is guilty of this crime. Barratry is considered to be a serious offence by the Lendosan government, as it undermines the justice system itself, turning it into a weapon. The victims of barratry can often be intimidated or simply swamped by a better-resourced opponent even if the case against them is flawed.
Complicity
This is defined as being willingly involved in a crime committed by another, regardless of whether or not one actually committed the crime as well. It can be extended to include failure to report a crime committed by another, although this does not always require a Complicity charge.
Champerty
This crime is defined as supporting, encouraging, or otherwise participating in legal procedings from which one stands to gain but in which one is not directly involved. For example, if a private citizen brings a case against a corporation, and one of the rivals of that corporation (which has no connection to the citizen's case) gives support to the citizen, the rival would be guilty of this crime - it is not the aggrieved party, and is only participating for its own benefit (even if the private citizen has a legitimate case).
Inveiglement
In Lendosan legal terminology, the crime of Inveiglement consists of urging or pursuading another person to commit a crime, or encouraging them to become an accomplice (see Complicity) in the crime of another.
Perjury (also classified under "State")
Under Lendosan definitions (which are somewhat different to those in many other countries), Perjury is the act of lying to the government, particularly (but not necessarily) a court of law. In some cases, it also includes the refusal to provide information to the government.

Things which are not crimes

This list shows a number of things which are sometimes illegal in other countries, but which are not illegal here.
Polygamy
In Lendosa, it is not illegal to be married to more than one person at the same time. This is because Lendosa does not regulate marriage in the same way that other countries do - in Lendosa, whether a person is married is a matter for them (and, if they choose, for their church) to decide, not for the state. Hence, anybody who wishes to consider themselves married may do so, although there is no compulsion for other people to recognise this marriage, and it confers no special rights.
Prostitution
Lendosa has chosen not to make prostitution (defined as the provision of sexual services in exchange for money or valuables) a crime, either for prostitutes or for their clients. Lendosa regards this as a matter of personal choice, and does not believe that prohibiting the practice makes a difference in any case. There are, however, requirements that prostitution be kept discreet, and that it not involve minors.