Pernese Law and Settling Disputes
A harper may be brought in as an arbiter in a dispute. It is, in such cases, the harper's duty to remain unbiased and impartial. If s/he cannot do so, s/he must remove her/himself from the dispute. The harper must listen to all sides of the argument, and work out a settlement which is fair and practical. In all cases, it is the harper's duty to uncover those sides to the problem which are not the obvious ones.
The Lord Holder, Craftmaster, or Weyrleader has final say in a judgement or punishment. If the matter cannot be satisfactorily resolved, a Conclave has jurisdiction.
At times, politics will rule the day and a matter may be settled unjustly but expediently. It can be difficult to sit back and watch this happen, but the harper must school him or herself to see all the sides of the issue, including those of the men and women who sit in judgement. Often, is is possible to find a balance which can be fair to those involved while still satisfying the imperatives of politics, but it can be a difficult job which requires originality, patience and diplomacy.
© Content Copyright P. Rutins and the Members of the Harper's Tale Harpercraft, 1999
© Pern and the concept of the Harpercraft is the property of Ms. Anne McCaffrey, who kindly allows us to play in her world. Thank you!