What do we know about the Federation law? Countroom epsiodes are quite common in Star Trek and we hear about things like Prime Directive, but what do we actually know about the Federation law. Do we actually have any fragments of said law shown/read? Also, how much is there a distinction between Federation law and Starfleet law? Can you provide any examples?
Federation law
- Thread starter BohandiAnsoid
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Prime Directive has 47 subsections, according to Voyager.
I imagine largely the same distinction between a modern Western government and modern Western military.
I’d suggest watching all the court room episodes.
There's a big physical book with all kinds of Starfleet laws written down in it. A real door-stopper of a book.
Most shows have one or two.
TOS- "Court Martial" and "The Menagerie"
TNG- "Measure of a Man" "First Duty" and "Drumhead"
DS9- "Rules of Engagement"
VOY- "Death Wish"
SNW- "Ad Astra Per Aspera"
The Voyage Home
Limiting to UFP/Starfleet
MA's got this covered: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Federation_law
It's still a court hearing, just not one that will render a final verdict.
Not in Rules of Engagement, that was a Starfleet hearing in front of a Starfleet JAG officer, you're probably thinking of the earlier extradition hearing in Dax which was in front of a Bajoran judge (as part of an end-run by Sisko around the fact that the Federation have a treaty with Klaestrons that would require them to hand Dax over, whereas the Bajorans don't, and are somewhat biased against the Klaestrons).
Arguably Doctor Bashir, I Presume also touches on Federation law, even if we never get to see an actual trial.
???"Rules of Engagement" is a great episodeHowever it's not strictly a courtroom, The judge is considering an extradition request, it's not a trial. And she's applying Bajoran law, not Federation law or Starfleet regulations.
Rules of Engagement is about Worf being court-martialed for destroying a Klingon civilian transport. While it's true the Klingons wanted Worf extradited, Bajoran law had nothing to do with this at all, while Federation law and Starfleet regulations were very much at the heart of the matter.
All you really need is section 31.Nice find! But sadly, it doesn't adumbrate all 47 sections!
Yeah, as I noted above, I think kkt confused Rules of Engagement with the earlier Dax.
There's also the time Freeman was sent to trial for the destruction of the Pakled world. Too bad we never got to see the trial, and instead we saw the theft of a theme park ship
Theft of the theme park ship was infinitely more satisfying.
I can't readily recall which points of Federation Law may explicitly be brought up in the course of the text, but for those interested in the political side of the Federation, I cannot recommend KRAD's Articles of the Federation highly enough. It's Star Trek meets The West Wing. Simply fabulous writing.
You're right that it's not Bajoran law. However it was not a trial. They weren't trying to determine Worf's guilt or innocence. but rather determining whether the Klingons had a right to extradite him. Finding out the whole incident was staged allowed the judge to find that no crime had been committed.
Technically, it was an extradition hearing to see whether to accept the Klingon's request for Worf to be taken to the Empire to be put on trial.
There's a lot about "Rules of Engagement" that makes no sense.
There's a lot about "Rules of Engagement" that makes no sense.
- If the Klingons are wanting Worf, why isn't the Federation demanding the Klingon captains that attacked unarmed cargo vessels be turned over too?
- The Klingons have abrogated the Khitomer Accords and broken off diplomatic relations with the Federation. Under what possible pretense would any government entertain their extradition request after they created an incident by attacking supply ships?
- Are there no lawyers in the Federation at this point? Or are we going with the idea that Sisko got a JD degree while going through Starfleet Academy? I know they want the main characters involved in important moments, but it strains credulity that with a major interstellar incident that could cause the Federation to withdraw from a star system, that at the very least Worf wouldn't be provided with an expert in extradition law. Or someone form the JAG corps who had some expertise.
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Yes, he got a degree in extradition law. He's just that badass.
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