Seanchan Law & Justice

As mentioned elsewhere on this site, the Seanchan Empire holds to a very strict, and sometimes brutal, system of society behavior. This is true for all, from slave to noble, though the level of transgressions that will earn a punishment can vary greatly depending on which social group one belongs to. Death sentences, for instance, are much more commonly pronounced for slaves than nobles and the manner in which they are carried out also differs for a slave than the methods used on nobles.

The lower on the social ladder, the easier it is to earn a punishment and the easier it is for that punishment to be carried out. Da'covale, for instance, have their lives and well being entirely depending on the goodwill of their owners who can have them killed or severely tortured on a whim.

Crime is extremely rare in the Seanchan Empire due to a very harsh no-tolerance policy.
Thieves will have their left hand cut off on the first offense and their right hand on a second, leaving them crippled for the rest of their lives.
Other severe punishments include the cutting out of tongues, removing of feet or hands or, in the extreme, beheading.

For the members of the Blood things are slightly different, though no less brutal. As it is forbidden for anyone to spill the blood of a noble, Blood that are judged guilty of crimes that are punishable by death, are put in a silken sack and hung from the Tower of Ravens and left there to die of starvation and thirst or suffocation, whichever comes first. While this is indeed an extremely harsh punishment, it is not the worst that can happen to a Seanchan noble, at least in their own eyes.

The worst punishment for the Blood is to be made a low level da'covale. This is usually done to those found guilty of treason against the throne. When caught, they may plea to the Empress to be allowed to take their own lives which would spare their family their shame and faith. Suicide is a much preferred option to all the Blood over being made da'covale. While it is possible that a noble traitor may commit suicide without asking the Empress for permission first, this act is also considered an act of treason and only increases the shame placed on the criminal's bloodline. For the Empress is not to be denied her right to cast judgement on those that would betray her and the Empire. When one of the Blood is made da'covale, their entire family loses their noble status and in most cases are all reduced to the level of da'covale though this may be countered by the Empress who may decide to just declare them free commoners. This, of course, depends on the transgression and the goodwill of the Empress towards the inflicted family.

Social Rank	Authority to Judge and cast sentence
low level da'covale	their owners (whomever has bought them or acquired them in a legal manner, eg as a gift from the Blood). They may also be sentenced by the Blood, if their owner is not available or if it is decided that they are too lenient with their property. This, of course, would lower the owner's eyes for a long time.
damane	sul'dam, Blood and High Blood though executing a damane is the last resort as they are too valuable to waste. However, it is not uncommon for them to be horribly mutilated, as it is possible to channel without tongue or hands.
free commoners and soldiers	Blood and High Blood or in the case of military their superior officers (who in most cases have been raised to the Blood which boils down to the same thing then). Most high level da'covale also possess great power over commoners, though seldom will they be in a position to cast judgement over them.
high level da'covale	the (High) Blood they belong to. It is considered highly improper for anyone to interfere with another Blood's high level da'covale, except for those set above all others like Seekers of the Truth, Deathwatch Guard and of course the Imperial Family.
Sul'dam	sentencing is done by those of the High Blood. If the sul'dam is the property of the throne (which is the case for most of them), a very good reason must be presented for the judgement.
Blood	High Blood can cast judgement over those of the lower Blood.
High Blood	The Imperial Personage and their appointed Heir can cast judgement on the High Blood.
The following have authority to investigate all of the above: Seekers of the Truth: they have authority to investigate everyone and it is considered automatic treason to the throne to refuse cooperation with them. While they are, in fact, da'covale, they are some of the most powerful people in the Empire. Heir to the Imperial Throne: can cast judgement over all, excluding the Empress herself of course. So long as they are not 'under the veil'. Deathwatch Guard: have a supremely high level of authority and even those of the High Blood will step wearily around them. Their loyalty is to the Empress and the Heir to the Throne.