Tantalus Law & Law Enforcement

The Laws of Tantalus are based on those of the Ithacan Star League as a whole, although it is presently in a state of extreme flux after the regime change caused by the Truth March.   Generally speaking, the laws of Tantalus are similar to most civilised, complex societies.

• Obey the authority (Custodians, government officials, military, etc.)
• Killing another being is a crime and will be fully investigated and punished as appropriate.
• Stealing or anything associated is a crime and will be fully investigated and punished as appropriate.
• No powered, ballistic or projectile weapons allowed past the docks. Carrying a prohibited weapon is a crime and will be fully investigated and punished as appropriate.
• Anything scavenged from the Graveyard should be registered and graded by the Mercantile Guild before sale.
• Anything purchased from the Graveyard and re-sold should be listed as such.
• All trades incur a 5% tariff payable to the Mercantile Guild Centre, the seller is responsible for this.
• Only those with a Privateer License may undertake work for the Privateer Board.
• Weapons of mass destruction, bioweapons, toxins, etc. are prohibited within Tantalus and should be registered and handled as advised by port authorities.
• Entering areas without appropriate permission is a crime and will be fully investigated and punished as appropriate.

Law Enforcement

Tantalus civilian law enforcement is handled by the Custodians, an extra-district authority that exists outside the purview of the Assembly Council. Traditionally one seat on the Assembly Council is reserved for High-Judge of the Custodians to facilitate close links between Law Enforcement and Lawmakers.   There are two tiers to the Custodian forces.  

Custodian Constabulary

These are lightly armoured and armed 'beat cops' that patrol and guard most civilian areas. They are trained to deal with low-to-mid level emergencies.  

Custodian Enforcers

Enforcers are comprised of the same pool of Custodians as the Guards, but for duties that may require more forceful approaches, or there is a higher risk of escalation, Custodian Enforcer armour is worn and more powerful (and obvious) weaponry is carried.  

Custodian Guards

Most commonly simply called 'The Guard', these are the elite squads of the Custodians. They are essentially paramilitary units and each Guard is a minimum 10-year veteran of the Constabulary. They wear red armour which is significantly more impressive than the standard Custodians. The general public only ever see The Guard if something goes badly wrong, like in a terrorist incident. Usually the Guard are attending to the safety of Government officials and locations.  

Military Law

Tantalus Authority (the combined Civilian and Military governments) has traditionally kept separate. Outside of designated Military Zones the Navy defers to the Custodians and loses power to enforce laws.   Since the declaration of Martial Law the lines between civilian and military law enforcement have become blurred. Many concerned citizens fear that Military Law may become the only law.  

Privateers

Privateers Licences include the clause that allows some in the Privateer profession to act as civilian law enforcement within the strict guidelines of the Privateer Code. Namely, Privateers may conduct private investigations and act 'as Custodians' for clients within the extent of the Law. This means that strictly in the matter of the employment contract, Privateers candetain suspects with the intention of turing them over to the Custodians. However, this also means that the Privateer in question must file the necessary reports, attend court hearings and be liable for upholding the law in the same way as a Custodian - which tends to mean that most Privateers don't extercise that part of their licence in the present day. In the past, however, it was common to hire Privateers to settle disputes since Tantalus Authority was stretched too thinly to deal with minor infractions.   Some have suggested that, given the current situation, this is likely to happen again very soon.