Template:Branch-Ministry The Ministry of Justice is nested in the domed Court of King's Bench in Chume'Dan, overlooking Lake Ajaz. The Minister of Justice has three principle roles. The first and foremost is to be the King's counsel and the attorney general for the government. The second is as the chief justice of the highest Court in the realm and finally, as the chief legislator on the Council.
The Ministry is a direct successor to the former Ministry of the Interior (and Ministry of Law before that), having relegated policing powers to the Ministry of Intelligence and in return, received judicature authority from the Crown.
History
The Ministry of Justice has always existed in one form or another, but in recent times it was formed as the Ministry of Law in 4029 under Minister Tylger just prior to the escalation of events in the Black Sun Crisis.
It was later reformed to become the Ministry of the Interior under Zell Jaak and was temporarily merged with the Office of the Prime Minister until the appointment of Celestin Abriel as Minister. It since had varying degrees of authority and influence, temporarily having jurisdiction over such institutions and departments as the Royal League of Commerce, Curia and SI7. In 4034 it was finally reformed in to the Ministry of Justice with some levels of jurisdiction being transferred to the Ministry of Intelligence. Due to the nature of their expertise, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Intelligence work closely together to ensure the swift apprehension and prosecution of public offenders.
Temporarily reformed as an institution entirely separate from the Royal Council of Lorell Hall, the judicial branch took the name Court of King's Bench in the summer of 4034. Following the resignation of Celestin Abriel in September 3034, the department remains frozen, awaiting restructuring.
Departments
Department of Legislation
The department that deals with the drafting of bills and amendments that are to be considered by the Minister and eventually submitted for the consideration of the King in Council. Once a bill is granted royal assent, it becomes law. Careful use of words, syntax and jurisprudence is integral to make sure that laws are meaningful, substantial and positive. As Hapan society evolves, new laws become obsolete and must be amended or replaced, and that is where the greater task of legal review lies.
Department of Judicature
Not so much a department as it is the entire judicial system in the Consortium. At the top is the Minister in his capacity of Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench. The court systems run autonomously from the will of the Executive and apply the law without heeding any special directions from government. The autonomy is not found anywhere in statute, but prevalent in customs and precedence. Beneath the Court of King's Bench, there are various local tribunals, at least one in each system depending on the population. It also has judicial reforming power over the Departments of Discipline instituted in the Royal Hapan Armed Forces.
Ministry Ranks
Template:Branch-Ministry-Ranks
