Lexicounts

The second arm of justice in Iolar society, the Lexicounts are the ultimate dispensers of justice and intepreters of jurisprudence. While a great deal of law enforcement latitude is granted to the Heiromats for their on-the-spot activity, most criminal matters will still make it before a Lexicount for adjudication. Civil matters occupy most of a Lexicount's time outside of the most desperately criminal municipalities. Legal proceedings are still generally slow and ignominious things despite technological advancements, though summary judgements for small matters are handled noospherically if possible and some of the hardest working parts of the Lexicount administration are simple algorithmic constructs, not even true AI, that handle simple legal disputes and issue rapid resolutions to blunt the ceaseless barrage of petty cases created every hour.    

Organizational Structure

 

The Bound Council

  The highest court and ultimate legal authority for all of Iolar-controlled space. Physically located in one of the great spires of The Brass Citadel, this court is comprised of 13 Lexicounts Prime. 12 are elected to 30 year commissions by the Lexicounts Praesidium of each of the sectors. The 13th is appointed by a unanimous proposition of the Sovereign Fleet for a 10 year commission. Both are limited to 3 successive terms, though technically they may serve any number of times discontinuously. Unlike lesser courts, abstention is not permitted by any members of the Bound Council. Few cases make it to this high court and those that do have often been grinding through the bureaucratic maze of justice for decades. The average number of rulings for a given composition of the 13 is 6.57 over the past 300 years. As expected, these rare rulings tend to be matters of total societal impact and have made and lost many fortunes and cost many lives over the Iolar's long history.    

Sector Praesidium

  Each sector has its own upper court, the Sector Praesidium with varying numbers of Lexicounts Praesidium sitting for a maximum of two 20-year terms. Despite appearing monocultural at a distance, the Iolar are a diverse people and the sectors reflect a broad spectrum of idealogies and social concerns. Legally, the job of the Lexicounts Praesidium is to smooth out these wrinkles to enforce justice as evenly as possible, making reference to a titanic catalog of precedent and rulings in order to ensure a generally equivalent legal landscape. This is complicated, naturally, by the competing desires of the public, the Fabricator Enclaves, and the Church, with each holding greater or lesser sway in the different Sectors.    

Greater Courts

  Greater Courts are established and modified according to algorithmic intepretation of census data, dividing the municipal territories of each sector into more manageable chunks based on population and other factors. Lexicounts Greater serve for maximum of ten 10-year terms, running for election as part of the general cycle of their respective zones. Their workload is primarily comprised of settling local Enclave disputes over tariffs, zoning, corporate espionage, and other such matters.    

Lesser Courts

    Lesser Courts are typically associated to individual municipal zones, some with several if population density is high enough. Lexicounts Lesser are most similar to common judges, with several tens of thousands in active service. They may serve for an unlimited number of 5 year terms and like their Greater counterparts, compete in the general elections of their respective municipalities. Their cases range from complex criminal schemes to housing disputes and it takes a truly dedicated individual to remain a public servant at this level. Even with the assistance of AI legal constructs the caseload is enormous and neverending.  

Advocates

    Public attorneys employed directly by the Lexicount apparatus, advocates run the gamut of sleazy ex-corporate scum to barely conscious public defenders powered by chems and noospheric subroutines. Their work is thankless but necessary and while citizens are not guaranteed the right to legal representation as a matter of global law, most municipalities extend a limited form of legal counsel to all citizens. Private law firms have an unbelievable edge against advocates, namely in the form of significant compensation, but most lawyers spend some time on the advocate circuit as part of their education.  

Functionaries

    The millions of clerks, administrative personnel, and support staff that keep the wheels of justice clean and clear enough to move, however slowly.