Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 421: Circuit Courts and Death Penalty Review

TL: Etude Translations

As everyone’s gaze converged upon him, Schroeder promptly stood up and saluted.

“The military will firmly obey your decisions.”

“Good.” Paul was very satisfied with Schroeder’s response.

In fact, there were already several safeguards within the military. For instance, departments like Equipment and Logistics did not fall under the Staff Department’s jurisdiction; they reported directly to Paul. Notably, the military’s salaries were also directly distributed by the Logistics Department to personnel at all levels, bypassing their military superiors.

Still, Paul felt it was better to add another layer of insurance.

Schroeder then asked, “Lord Grayman, what if the instructor and the military commander have differing opinions in military campaigns?”

He felt some things needed clarification.

Paul reassured him, “Don’t worry, I won’t let amateurs command professionals. Military campaigns and operations will still be the responsibility of the military commanders. Instructors will only have the authority to provide staff advice in these matters.”

“Your wisdom is admirable, my lord.”

Schroeder felt a weight lift from his heart.

…

Thomas slowly navigated through the somewhat dim corridors of the lord’s castle. It was nearing 5 PM, and he had been preparing to end his day’s work and head home when he suddenly received a summons from Count Grayman. As the chief justice, he dared not delay and hurried to the lord’s castle.

Upon arriving at the Count’s office, after being announced by his secretary, Bernard Francis, Thomas stepped inside.

He saw his lord not sitting behind the desk as usual, but slumped in a corner on a single sofa, supporting his head with his right arm, elbow resting on the armrest. The setting sun’s rays shone onto the floor in front of him through the window, but the Count himself was engulfed in the shadows of the corner, obscuring his face.

To Thomas, the Count seemed to be in a somewhat despondent state, prompting him to remind himself to be careful with his words.

“My lord, Thomas has come in response to your summons.”

“Please, have a seat.”

“Yes.”

The Chief Justice sat down not far from Paul.

“Thomas, I’ve been pondering a question lately.”

“Please speak your mind, my lord.”

“Should we not limit or perhaps even abolish those so-called ‘civilian courts’ scattered throughout the countryside, and have Lakeheart Town take over all case adjudications?”

Thomas’s face showed surprise as he softly asked, “Why do you suddenly have such thoughts, my lord?”

Paul, stroking his chin, said, “I think, if we continue to let those landlords wield the power of punishment, their deterrent over the peasants is too great, leaving them almost unable to resist. Take the recent incident, for instance…”

His expression grew indignant. “Fubinen abused his power to arbitrarily sentence peasants to pay debts with their lands. If this matter had been judged by Lakeheart Town, we could have discovered Fubinen’s despicable tactics earlier.”

Thomas was aware of this incident, being a senior official of the Administration Council. He was present when Paul had erupted in anger.

Thomas furrowed his brow. “Uh… Lord Grayman, I advise you to consider this carefully. Abolishing these private courts hastily might yield results contrary to your intended goals.”

“Why? If it weren’t for Fubinen abusing his power, would such injustice occur? Wouldn’t removing the power from his hands solve the problem?”

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Thomas pondered for a moment before explaining to Paul, “Lord Grayman, the Alda lord’s court, including myself, only has ten officials overseeing the towns in Alda, Baylding, and Emden, responsible for local case adjudications. However, we are stretched thin when it comes to the vast rural areas. For regions beyond our reach, we have to rely on local, reputable gentry to form civilian courts to handle cases, a tradition that has been in place since ancient times.”

In fact, having ten officials in Alda’s lord’s court was already an expansion. In most parts of the northwest region (and possibly beyond), most lords only had a legal advisor. The lord himself naturally acted as the judge, often needing an assistant to help remember or look up laws enacted by themselves or their ancestors.

“Once the vast rural areas lose an authority capable of resolving disputes, I pessimistically believe it will quickly descend into chaos and disorder. When their own interests aren’t involved, those local bigwigs still play a role in maintaining order.”

“What about having people go to nearby cities for litigation?”

Thomas replied with difficulty, “Well… It might be trivial for you to visit Port Fran, but for most people here, traveling a long distance to a town for a potentially unwinnable lawsuit is not worth the effort and loss. Perhaps… they might prefer to settle matters privately.”

Hearing this, Paul covered his head in dismay, “Is there really no good solution?”

After a moment of silence, Paul suddenly sat upright.

“Alright then, Thomas!”

Paul looked at the Chief Justice with utmost seriousness, making Thomas tense up.

“I want to increase our number of judges, and furthermore, the lord’s court will become an independent system separate from the Administration Council.”

“You mean… I heard you right?”

Thomas’s breathing quickened, wondering if this meant he would be on par with other high-ranking officials like Ford and Schroeder.

“You heard right. I ask you, how many people would we need if all cases were to be adjudicated by the lord’s court?”

“It’s hard to estimate, as this has never been done before. And, Lord Grayman, I must remind you that a qualified judge isn’t just any government official who can read, write, and do arithmetic. They must have a sharp logical ability and be familiar with various legal provisions, which could take years to develop.”

Time! It requires time!

Paul tapped his fingers on the armrest, yearning for immediate results.

“Alright, but the reform must start now. I’ve decided to quickly establish one or several small circuit courts to inspect various areas. They must penetrate every village to check for wrongful cases, ensuring the lord’s authority reaches every heart, not just those of the local bigwigs. Go back and immediately draft a plan for me.”

“Yes, Lord Grayman.”

Thomas inwardly sighed, thinking that a circuit court was a challenging assignment.

“Additionally, the power to sentence death penalties will be entirely revoked. Even for criminals with clear evidence warranting execution, detailed records of the trial process must be submitted to Lakeheart Town, and the lord’s court will conduct a review before sentencing.”

“Excellent!”

Thomas wholeheartedly agreed with Paul’s decision.