Justice



Juridical system
Although the crime level is below that of the average Western European state, there is much criticism of the Frilandic juridical system. This is mainly because of the fact that Friland has the death penalty and still sporadically administers it. The juridical systems of most European countries are based on Roman law and are usually strongly influenced by Christian-Humanistic values. The origin of the Frilandic juridical system however, mostly lies in Germanic common law and leans more heavily on jurisprudence.
        Besides taking away threats to society the element of vengeance also plays a role in the Frilandic juridical system. There are, for example, extenuating circumstances for people who kill the murderer of a family member, as long as this family member was killed outside their own guilt. Blood feuds between "sebjan" (sibs/clans) however, are not being tolerated anymore for centuries.

Forgivableness
In Frilandic justice a distinction is made between forgivable and unforgivable crimes:

  • Forgivable crimes are all deeds that are not of such nature that they need to be avenged with serious measures. Paying a fine to society and "wergeld" (wergild) to the victim is then usually a part of the punishment. Originally the wergild served to buy off the revenge of the victim or his sib but these days it is mainly a payment of damages. Forgivable crimes are for example theft, burglary or assault without permanent consequences.
  • Unforgivable crimes are "to deliberately and without a good reason cause irreversible mental or physical damage to an individual, with death or serious loss of life quality as a result." Examples of this are murder, serious sexual offences and assault resulting in serious invalidity. These types of crimes are usually severely punished, in which the death penalty or life imprisonment are also part of the options.

    Prison sentences
    Most prisons can be divided into two categories: those for people who were sentenced to life imprisonment and incorrigible criminals, and those for people who can be re-educated and safely returned to society. In prisons of the last category the regime is less strict and the emphasis is mainly on rehabilitation. The inmates don't have to spend years in a cell, but are allowed to leave the prison on a regular basis (with or without supervision) to look for work and maintain contact with society. Their stay in prison lasts as long as is needed for their rehabilitation; in the longest case, the sentence imposed on them by the judge.

    Death penalty
    Despite all the criticism the death penalty is still part of the Frilandic judge's arsenal. However, since 2012 it is rarely being administered. This is usually done by hanging, lethal injection or firing squad. In the old days it was also customary to drown people with a death sentence in a bog, for this reason they are also informally called "fanfodar" (bog fodder). One of the most controversial cases was the hanging of Fulkmer Hrudberssun in 2003, who had killed a 4 year old girl. By exception the judge had allowed the father of the girl to pull the handle of the drop, which resulted in heavy international criticism.
            In February 2012 the Riksțing decided that henceforth the death penalty would be automatically converted to life imprisonment. However, the death penalty will remain part of the Frilandic juridical system and there are still exceptions in which the death penalty can actually be administered.

    Lawsuits
    The Frilandic court is called the "Lagțing" (law-thing). At the start of the lawsuit an oath of truth is sworn; this is a solemn event and breaking an oath is considered very dishonorable in Friland. Witnesses may not be anonymous and supplying the burden of proof always has to be done by the accuser. There are possibilities to appeal against a verdict.


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