Law & Order
Law and order is a broad concept referring to the maintenance of societal norms and peace through the enforcement of laws. It encompasses the legal framework that governs a society, as well as the institutions and individuals responsible for upholding that framework. Law and order is often considered a fundamental principle of any civilized society or culture, essential for ensuring safety, security, and justice. Fictional worlds depict the concept in of law and order in different ways. While authoritarian factions may feature very aggressive law and order apparatuses to help suppress dissent, post-apocalyptic worlds may showcase a world where law and order simple does not exist. Law and order is a broad element, and designers can insert elements as far ranging as town guards, courts, bounty hunters, laws, and prison systems.

Synonyms: laws, justice, the law |
Example Mythonyms: the harsh laws of King Humentum II |

Designing Fictional Concepts of Law and Order
Overview
The concept of law and order can be broken into several key components to help worldbuilders more easily approach the design of this large element.
Key Components of Law and Order
- Legal Framework: This consists of laws, regulations, and ordinances that define acceptable behavior within a society. It includes criminal law, civil law, administrative law, and constitutional law. Different fictional factions within a world may have different laws and the discovery of what is and is not legal in certain settings is a common narrative trope.
- Law Enforcement Agencies: These organizations are responsible for enforcing the law, investigating crimes, and apprehending criminals. They may include police departments, sheriff’s offices, and other law enforcement bodies. Certain locations (lawless territories; frontier territories; wastelands; contested territories) may have very little law enforcement if they even have laws at all.
- Judicial System: This comprises courts and judges who interpret and apply the law. It includes trial courts, appellate courts, and supreme courts.
- Correctional System: This system is responsible for punishing those convicted of crimes and rehabilitating them, if possible. It includes prisons, jails, and probation and parole services. The correction systems, and particularly prisons, in worlds where magic or superpowers are prevalent, may require additional design features to ensure those with special abilities cannot easily escape.
- Civilian Oversight: This refers to the role of citizens in ensuring that law enforcement agencies and the judicial system operate fairly and ethically. It may involve citizen review boards, public records laws, and other mechanisms.
More

Your world likely has a system of law and order.. How far reaching, and how developed this system is will need to be established.
Law
Who determines the law in your world and what are those laws? How stringently are they enforced? Are different areas of your world subject to different laws? Below are a few common illegal actions, how do these fit with your world? What additional events/actions are unlawful?
- Murder
- Theft
- Destruction of Property
- Trespassing
- Violent Behavior
- Possession of Illegal Items & Substances
Law Enforcers
Police officers, sheriffs, bounty hunters, and the town guard are all examples of law enforcers generally tasked with maintaining the peace. Who the enforcers are, how well equipped, how well trained, and how honorable or corrupt they are is something to be considered.
Justice Systems
If a person has broken a law in your world, how is justice meted out? Is there a system of courts available to hold a trial? Are there public defenders or do individuals represent themselves? Or is justice handled locally and on a much more personal basis?
Punishment
What punishments, if any, exist for breaking the law? Is capital punishment present in your world? If so, for which crimes? Do jails and prisons exist? What do they look like? How common are they? Where are they located?
Crime
Most worlds have a criminal element. It may be found at the edges of civilization, it may be an integral part of society, or in more narrative-focused worlds it may be the central characters themselves who have found themselves pursued by the law.
How common is crime in your world? Are there crime bosses? Are there areas where crime is especially prevalent? What are these areas?

How would a law enforcer in your world react to a bribe attempt?


If someone attempted to escape from jail in your world, how would they do this?

