www.ditl.org

I was just watching "Justice", and at the start I heard this line...

Tasha : "I've listed my report on their customs and laws, sir. Fairly simple, common sense things."

Now I know this isn't exactly an original thought, but I just couldn't help myself. I had to continue the scene in my head, my way...

Picard : "Oh, good. And the courts and police and the like, fair and above board?"
Tasha (hesitating a little) : "Er... yeah."
Picard : "Punishments reasonable?"
Tasha : "Um... I'm sure they are... yeah."
Picard : "Well, that's good enough for me. You checked with your usual thoroughness, I'm sure."
Tasha : "Oh, very. Well... fairly. I mean, I didn't ask about the punishment for every single law, obviously."
Picard : "Er... but you checked the serious ones... right?"
Tasha : "Um... sure. Obviously. Well, I mean, I kinda skimmed them."
Picard : "You skimmed them?"
Tasha : "I got the general gist."
Picard : "But you didn't read any of them in detail?"
Tasha : "Well how bad can it be, really? I mean, they seem like very nice people... it's not like they are going to go around executing people for every little thing!"
Picard : "Well no, I suppose not. That would just be stupid. So it's all okay then?"
Tasha : "I'm sure it will be fine."

The thing is, though, they only had one enforced law - trespassing. Unfortunately, the definition by physical space varied day to day.

They only had one law that we saw. Nobody ever says that they have no other laws.

And if trespassing gets the death penalty, lord knows what jaywalking would get...

Yes, I was being overly hyperbolic. Just pointing up how ludicrous it was that Yar could have overlooked an aspect of their legal system involving capital punishment.

Not too hyperbloic. It was rather ridiculous for her to overlook it and it to be there in the first place.

As bad as this ep was, Tasha's report only makes it worse. The best that can be said is that she was horribly incompetent, or she was too lazy and apathetic to actually check and figured she could get away with pretending to do her job.

So I suppose diplomatic imunity doesnt exist in the Federation.

Teaos wrote:So I suppose diplomatic imunity doesnt exist in the Federation.

Moot point - IIRC, the Edo weren't part of the UFP. Immunity must come from the host, not the diplomatic entity.

Still I imagin guests would partition for immunity to avoid stuff like this happening. Even with in depth reserch it would be impossible to breif a party on all the laws, easier to get immunity from them as part of a diplomatic party but limit your interaction to a small area.

If the host doest offe immunity get them to come to you.

Given that the Edo appeared to be pre-warp, you have to wonder what business they had visiting and taking shore leave there at all.

GrahamKennedy wrote:Given that the Edo appeared to be pre-warp, you have to wonder what business they had visiting and taking shore leave there at all.

Obviously, the PD doesn't apply if the people in question are hot.

The thing is that even if their laws looked regular even a cursory glance at how they enforce those laws should have thrown up a huge red flag.

It's the sticking point of the ep, really. The Edo are perfectly happy to tell them about everything, the problem arose because they just didn't bother to ask.

Though it does fit into the space hippy vibe early TNG had. "It's cool man, we're the Federation. It'll all work out and be groovy in the end."